The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that the winner of the third-place match at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will not receive their bronze medals immediately after the game, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to face the Pharaohs of Egypt in the third-place playoff on Saturday in Casablanca, after both sides suffered semi-final heartbreaks earlier in the week. While the fixture offers both teams a chance to end their AFCON campaign on a positive note, CAF’s latest decision has sparked dissatisfaction from both camps.
According to CAF, the presentation of bronze medals has been scheduled to take place only after the final on Sunday. The continent’s football governing body explained that the team finishing third will be required to travel from Casablanca to Rabat, where the official medal ceremony will be conducted as part of the tournament’s closing events.
Reports indicate that officials from both Nigeria and Egypt were unhappy with the arrangement, especially as third-place teams at previous tournaments were often awarded their medals immediately after the playoff match. However, CAF has maintained that the decision is in line with its organisational plans for the Morocco 2025 tournament.
The ruling means that whichever team emerges victorious on Saturday will have to wait an additional day before being formally recognised for securing third place at AFCON 2025. Attention will now turn to Rabat on Sunday, where the final and the delayed medal presentations will officially bring the tournament to a close.