By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria’s running penalty shootout woes resurfaced on Wednesday night in Rabat as hosts Morocco booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final with a 4–2 shootout victory over Nigeria, following a goalless 120 minutes.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as Morocco’s hero, saving two Nigerian penalties before Youssef En-Nesyri calmly converted the decisive spot kick to seal victory at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The defeat echoed Nigeria’s heartbreak in Morocco last November, when they crashed out of the intercontinental World Cup playoff on penalties, and it again shut the door on hopes of a fourth continental title.

Morocco, chasing a first AFCON crown in 50 years, will now face Senegal, the 2021 champions, in Sunday’s final in Rabat. Nigeria will contest the third-place playoff against Egypt a day earlier.

The semi-final itself was a tense and cagey affair, with few clear-cut chances over two hours of football. Morocco enjoyed the better opportunities and were repeatedly denied by impressive saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who was by far the busier of the two keepers.

Nigeria, despite entering the match with the tournament’s best scoring record, struggled badly in attack and offered little ambition going forward. Their most dangerous moments were fleeting, and when talisman Victor Osimhen finally found space in the box, a heavy touch let the chance slip away.

Morocco’s early promise included a headed chance falling to Ayoub El Kaabi inside the six-yard box, but hesitation cost him, while Ismael Saibari later tested Nwabali with a well-worked effort. Most of the hosts’ attempts, however, came from range and were dealt with comfortably.

The match was ultimately decided from the spot. Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi both saw their penalties saved by Bounou, leaving Morocco to complete the job and move within one win of ending a half-century wait for continental glory.

While Morocco have yet to hit top gear, their efficiency and organisation have carried them to the final. Their sternest test now awaits against a confident Senegal side led by Sadio Mane, whose winner earlier in Tangier ended Egypt’s challenge.

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By Kunle Solaja, Tangier

Senegal booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final after a late strike from Sadio Mané sealed a 1–0 semi-final victory over Egypt on Wednesday.

Mané struck 12 minutes from time with a low, decisive effort from the edge of the penalty area to reward Senegal’s sustained dominance in a tense last-four encounter. It proved a deserved breakthrough for the Teranga Lions, who controlled possession and territory throughout as Egypt failed to register a single shot on target or win a corner before conceding.

Despite their authority, Senegal initially struggled to break down a disciplined Egyptian defence and needed a slight deflection to open the door for the winning goal. The decisive moment came after Lamine Camara’s effort from distance was blocked, with the ball falling kindly to Mané, who drilled a grass-cutting shot beyond goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

Senegal had threatened earlier in the contest, with Nicolas Jackson firing over in the 19th minute and subsequent efforts from Habib Diarra and Pape Gueye drawing routine saves from El Shenawy. The pattern continued after the break, as Senegal dominated possession but were largely restricted to speculative attempts from range until Mané’s intervention.

The goal finally stirred Egypt into life, prompting a late tactical gamble as three strikers were introduced in a desperate bid to salvage the match. Substitute Ahmed Zizo forced Edouard Mendy into a save during stoppage time, but it was Egypt’s only meaningful attempt of the game.

Defeat ended Mohamed Salah’s hopes of claiming a first Africa Cup of Nations title with his country. The Liverpool forward, twice a losing finalist in the competition, was largely subdued and struggled to influence proceedings.

Senegal, however, faces concerns ahead of Sunday’s final. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly was forced off midway through the first half with a groin injury and will miss the decider after picking up a booking for a foul on Omar Marmoush. Diarra was also cautioned for the second game in a row and is suspended.

The reigning champions will now meet either hosts Morocco or Nigeria in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, as they chase another continental crown.

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By Kunle Solaja, inside Hercules Cave, Tangier

If Cape Spartel felt like Geography coming alive, then the visit to Hercules Cave was history and mythology stepping out of the pages and into lived experience.

Once again, the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations proved to be more than a football assignment. It became an education—this time in legend, geology and the enduring dialogue between man and nature.

Situated just outside Tangier, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Hercules Cave is one of those places you think you know—until you actually go there.

I had heard the stories, seen the photographs, and read the guidebook references. But nothing quite prepares you for the sensation of standing inside a cave where myth, sea and stone seem to converse.

A Journey Framed by the Atlantic

The drive to Hercules Cave followed the familiar coastal rhythm of Tangier—rolling roads, ocean breezes and sudden openings where the Atlantic announces itself in waves and wind.

As with Cape Spartel, the journey itself felt deliberate, almost ceremonial, easing visitors away from the bustle of the city and into a quieter, older world.

The cave complex sits close to the shoreline, its entrance modest, almost deceptive. But once inside, the atmosphere changes immediately. The air cools, footsteps echo, and the outside world fades into filtered light and the distant sound of the sea.

Some visitors are going into the cave.

It has been designated as a Moroccan National Heritage since 1950. It costs 100 Moroccan Dirham, which is 10 euros, to visit the Cave.

Where Myth Meets Stone

A tour guide, simply called Rachid, explains the myth around the Cave. Legend has it that Hercules rested here after completing one of his twelve labours. Whether one believes the myth or not almost becomes irrelevant inside the cave.

Rachid tells the story of Hercules and the cave.

The stories linger in the shadows, giving the place a gravity that pure geology alone might not fully explain.

Nature, however, has clearly had the final word. The cave’s most famous feature is its sea-facing opening, shaped unmistakably like the map of Africa.

Through it, the Atlantic surges and retreats, carving, polishing and reshaping the limestone over centuries. Standing before that opening, watching waves crash and withdraw, one understands why the site has captured imaginations for generations.

An Unscripted Classroom

Like Cape Spartel, Hercules Cave functions as an open classroom. The walls tell stories of erosion and time, of water patiently sculpting rock. Guides explain how parts of the cave were naturally formed while others were expanded through human activity, blending natural history with human intervention.

Inside the cave. An opening that looks like a nature-carved outline map of Africa, seen as reversed from within, but depicting the actual when viewed from the Atlantic Ocean. Here, I stand by the bronze carvings of Hercules.

Light filters in unevenly, creating silhouettes and shadows that shift with the movement of the sun and sea. It is easy to linger, to forget time, and to reflect on how small human timelines are when placed against geological ages.

Tangier, Always Teaching

The wind followed us here too, sweeping in from the Atlantic, carrying salt and chill. Tangier, it seems, insists on reminding visitors of its elemental nature—sea, wind, rock and story bound tightly together.

What struck me most, once again, was symbolism. Just as Cape Spartel represents the meeting of two seas, Hercules Cave represents the meeting of myth and reality, of imagination and physical space. Morocco’s self-image as the Kingdom of Light feels especially apt here—light entering the cave, illuminating stone, history and legend all at once.

As the Africa Cup of Nations unfolds with its familiar drama of goals, tactics and results, these off-pitch journeys may well outlast the matches in memory. Hercules Cave, like Cape Spartel, reinforced a simple truth: travel, when allowed to breathe, becomes education. And in Tangier, every excursion seems determined to teach.

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