Egypt’s AFCON campaign ended in further disappointment on Saturday as the Pharaohs fell to Nigeria in the third-place play-off, following crucial penalty misses from stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.
Despite being the most successful nation in the tournament’s history, Egypt leaves the 2026 edition under heavy scrutiny. The duo of Salah (Liverpool) and Marmoush (Manchester City) failed to convert from the spot, symbolizing a lackluster tournament for the record seven-time champions.
Stars Head Back to the Premier League
Both forwards will now return to England with a point to prove. Salah joins a Liverpool side still reeling from a frustrating -1 draw against Burnley, while Marmoush returns to a Manchester City squad looking to bounce back from their derby defeat to Manchester United.
The Grand Final: Senegal vs. Morocco
While Egypt settles for fourth, the world’s attention turns to the main event this Sunday. Senegal and Morocco will face off at 19:00 GMT to decide who will become the new two-time African champion.
Morocco: Led by Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz, who tops the scoring charts with five goals, the Atlas Lions are the heavy favorites.
Senegal: The defending champions rely on the legendary Sadio Mané and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson to secure back-to-back titles.
AFCON Hall of Fame
Regardless of today’s result, Egypt remains the “Kings of Africa” in the record books:
- Egypt: 7 Titles
- Cameroon: 5 Titles
- Ghana / Nigeria / Ivory Coast: 3 Titles
Senegal and Morocco currently hold just one trophy each, meaning tonight will crown a new historical powerhouse in African football.
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Miguel Manjate is a football journalist and editor covering the Premier League, European competitions, and transfer news, with a strong focus on match analysis and data-driven reporting.
