Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has opened up about the reason behind his missed penalty during Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third-place victory against Egypt. The Lazio player, who was deployed in an unfamiliar role, praised his teammates for their unwavering support after his spot-kick mishap.
Fatigue and a New Role Behind the Miss
Speaking to journalists after the match on Saturday, January 17, 2026, Dele-Bashiru admitted that exhaustion played a major part. The match had ended in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout which Nigeria won 4-2 to secure the bronze medal.
The 24-year-old explained that he was "dead" by the end of regulation time. This was largely due to being shifted from his natural central midfield position to play as a right-back following an injury to Bright Osayi-Samuel in the 65th minute.
"I'm always ready wherever the coach wants me to play. Today it came as a surprise, but I think I tried to do my best," Dele-Bashiru stated. He expressed newfound respect for natural full-backs, highlighting the physical demand of the position. "It gave me a lot of respect for people who play right-back because it's very, very tough running up and down the pitch."
Teammate Support and Bronze Medal Joy
Despite missing Nigeria's first penalty in the shootout, Dele-Bashiru was immediately consoled by his fellow Super Eagles players. This show of solidarity was a key moment for the midfielder.
"When I missed the penalty, my teammates came to console me. I scored in the semi-finals but missed in the third-place match. In the end, I'm happy we won," he said. He added a personal touch, noting, "I'm celebrating this victory with my Moroccan wife."
Reflecting on the tournament's outcome, Dele-Bashiru acknowledged the team's ambition while valuing the medal. "Bronze is better than nothing, we came here to win, but that didn't happen," he remarked.
Contrasting Penalty Fortunes in Morocco
The penalty miss against Egypt stood in stark contrast to his performance days earlier. Dele-Bashiru had successfully converted his spot-kick during the semi-final penalty shootout against tournament hosts Morocco. He and Paul Onuachu were the only Nigerian players to score in that 4-2 shootout defeat which ended the Super Eagles' hopes of reaching the final.
The bronze medal match also featured heroics from goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, whose saves from Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush were crucial. Nwabali later revealed his saves were based on familiarity with the players from watching them at club level, rather than studying video footage.
Ultimately, the Super Eagles rallied to secure a podium finish at AFCON 2025, with Dele-Bashiru's experience underscoring the challenges of tournament football and the importance of squad unity.
