So much about the host country making it to the semi-finals, but on the other side of the draw are two of Africa’s most storied countries.
A fixture which is a close repeat of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final where co-host nation Nigeria met the Bafana-Bafana of South Africa. It ended in an emphatic 2-0 win on a busy, hot Thursday in Lagos. That win would make it the Super Eagles’ sixth appearance in the tournament’s final since its inception in 1957.
A chance for the Green Eagles, as they were called, to be champions again six years after clinching the trophy at the 1994 tournament in Tunisia. A fairy tale story being written and acted out on their home oil? Sadly, their neighbours, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon snatched the win beating them 4-2 on penalties at their own National Stadium, right in the heart of Lagos.
A new record for Bafana Bafana
For South Africa, the stakes are quite high. An opportunity to create history by reaching what would be the country’s third AFCON final. A moment to build on their ever-growing presence in Africa’s biggest football tournament.
Despite having one of the top soccer leagues on the continent and a great crop of players, South Africa has failed to go past the quarter-final stage of the competition in recent years. Their last appearance in the competition final was in the 1998 edition of the tournament, three years after their debut in the competition, where they picked up the silver medal losing to Egypt in Burkina Faso.
Breaking the Super Eagles
Sixteen semifinals, seven finals
The Super Eagles have a fighting chance at breaking what some of their supporters have termed the semifinal curse. With a record of sixteen semifinal appearances in the competition history and having only reached seven finals, the Nigerians will be giving their all at booking a spot in the 2023 finals of the AFCON. A win will further assert Nigeria’s dominance over their southern counterparts.
Head to head, Nigeria has a better tally; winning seven out of their last 14 encounters, drawing five, and losing only two against Bafana Bafana.
The fixture also presents a great opportunity for Jose Pesiro and his team to increase their chances of getting their hands on the AFCON trophy while increasing the number of appearances in the final for the Super Eagles to eight.
What Nigeria and South Africa said to the press
Addressing the media in Abidjan, Peseiro whose team is now being tagged as media favourites to win, says that tag will not matter on the pitch, “It is good for you in the media to talk about. But for me, nothing changes.
“I don’t know if Nigeria is a favourite or not. What I know is that I believe in this team that we can win this competition. But to believe is one thing, to win is another thing. That means on the pitch, we must repeat the same performance as we have done.
“Defend together with eleven on the pitch and 14 on the bench, and attack together with eleven on the pitch and 14 on the bench. We have been doing it and I want us to repeat it. Nothing in the past can influence that, only our confidence and belief,” the Portuguese stated.
On the other hand, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says his team is not worried and plans to neutralise Nigeria’s starman and 2023 CAF African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen.
“We don’t fear Osimhen and the Nigerian attack,” he says. “We know they are good players. But we will try to do something so that they are not so dangerous. Their defense is also very good but those are things that were said about Morocco also and we won.”
The semifinal clash between Nigeria and South Africa could be said to have as much impact off the pitch as it would on the pitch. African football fans are looking forward to a keenly contested defensive battle at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké between two teams who have shown excellent defensive acumen at AFCON 2023 with both having four clean sheets in their last five games in the competition.
Nigeria vs South Africa facts
- Nigeria and South Africa have never lost a third-place match in the AFCON.
- South Africa is the only host team to have played in a 0-0 draw in the opening game of the competition during the 2013 edition of the tournament hosted on home soil.
- Nigeria holds the highest number of third-place wins (8) in the history of the competition. The Super Eagles failed to reach the final in 1976, 1978,1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2019 editions but won the Bronze medal in all.
- South Africa is the only team to have finished 1st (1996), 2nd (1998), and 3rd (2000) in the first three AFCON tournaments that they participated in.
- Nigeria has the most podium finishes at the AFCON.
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