Nigeria to meet South Africa in a Highly Anticipated Semifinal Match at the 2023 AFCON
Three-time African champions Nigeria will rekindle their continental rivalry with South Africa in a highly-anticipated semi-final at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations later today.
The venue is Stade De La Paix, Bouake at 17:00 GMT.
Nigeria have won all three of their previous meetings at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has the better head-to-head record, and is the highest-ranked side remaining in Ivory Coast.
Yet 1996 winners’ Bafana Bafana have already knocked out Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked side, and will aim to avenge the pain of past meetings with Nigeria when appearing in the last four for the first time since 2000 – when they were beaten 2-0 by the Super Eagles.
It’s a kind of rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and it is a do-or-die game between the two countries, former Nigeria international Tijani Babangida told BBC Sport Africa.
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In 2000, we met in the semi-final and now it happens again. It’s going to be a battle. This Super Eagles team is determined to reach the final and win the trophy.
The countries’ most recent Afcon meeting came in the 2019 quarter-finals in Egypt, with goals from Samuel Chukwueze and William Troost-Ekong giving the Super Eagles a 2-1 win.
South Africa won their sole Afcon title as hosts in 1996, on what was their debut at the finals.
Having finished as runners-up two years later before coming third in 2000, following their semi-final defeat by Nigeria in Lagos, Bafana Bafana failed to get past the quarter-finals again on three subsequent occasions until beating Cape Verde on penalties in Yamoussoukro on Saturday.
We have come relatively close before, losing to a last-minute goal to Nigeria in 2019, former South Africa captain Dean Furman told the BBC World Football at Afcon podcast.
We lost in 2013 in the quarter-finals but finally, we’ve got over the hurdle, and what a way to do it. It’s huge.
