Morocco clinched their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time since 2004 as they edged Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after a tense goalless draw in the semi-final.

The Atlas Lions have not won the AFCON since doing so in 1976, and the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists have played under weight of huge expectations on home soil as they look to end their wait for a second title.

Morocco were the better team for long periods of an uninspiring contest in Rabat, though neither side crafted much in the way of clear-cut chances.

And it was Morocco who held their nerve in the shootout, Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the decisive penalty after Bruno’s poor spot-kick had presented him with the chance to book a place in the final against Senegal.

Morocco now face the Lions of Teranga at the same venue on Sunday, while Nigeria face a third-place play-off with Egypt that will offer no consolation for a Super Eagles team that will be conspicuous by its absence at this summer’s World Cup.

Heartbreak for Nigeria as Morocco edge towards glory

Brahim Diaz was the first to threaten to break the deadlock when he bent an ambitious narrowly wide, before Ademola Lookman drew a smart save from Yassine Bounou.

Calvin Bassey was given a harsh yellow card shortly after half-hour mark for a foul on Diaz that meant the Fulham defender would have missed the final. Achraf Hakimi sent the subsequent free-kick over the crossbar.

Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers and made saves to thwart Abde Ezzalzouli either side of half-time, yet neither he nor Bounou had much to do thereafter, as an attritional battle low on quality saw penalties become an inevitability.

Despite surprisingly withdrawing Victor Osimhen minutes before penalties, the Super Eagles had a chance to take control of the shootout after Hamza Igamane’s miss.

However, Samuel Chukwueze also fluffed his lines and, after Bounou moved early to his left to keep out Bruno’s effort from Nigeria’s fourth penalty, En-Nesyri confidently found the bottom-left corner to put Morocco a win away from glory.