Nigeria will take on South Africa in the first semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations. In order to go to the next round, the Super Eagles maintained a perfect record against Angola last time out. In the quarterfinals, Bafana Bafana required a performance from Ronwen Williams to overcome Cape Verde.
Preview (Nigeria vs. South Africa)
Although Jose Peseiro’s team defeated Angola 1-0 without giving up. The Super Eagles displayed signs of cumulative tiredness in the final eight minutes. Some players appear to be exhausted. Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi appeared to be the most impacted. Frank Onyeka had an injury that forced him to sit out the match against Palancas Negras. Whatever the case, Ademola Lookman has been the Super Eagles’ bright spot at AFCON 2023. He added to his brace against Cameroon to score his third goal in the finals. It made him the fourth Nigerian to score three or more goals in a single edition. Odion Ighalo in 2019 (four), Jay-Jay Okocha in 2004 (three), and Rashidi Yekini in 1994 (three).
The three-time African champions advanced to a record-tying 15th semi-final thanks to the Atalanta forward’s first-half goal. In the 120 minutes that followed without a goal, Williams was the clear winner of the shootout. He saved four penalties to deflect criticism from his teammates’ poor 12-yard kick attempts. Hugo Broos’s team had previously benefited by his goalie stopping Gilbert Tavares’s effort in stoppage time during the second half; nevertheless, the exceptional Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper had originally insisted on an additional half-hour.
Because of their goalkeeper’s outstanding play, Bafana Bafana has advanced to the Cup of Nations semifinals for the first time since 2000. They were runners-up in 1998, winners in 1996, and third in 2000. This is their third consecutive appearance in the semifinals since the tournament’s inception. The 1996 winners are eager to surpass an old rival en route to the country’s third AFCON final after 24 years (including three quarterfinal exits) to reach this point in the competition. At the Cup of Nations, South Africa has never defeated Nigeria. In 2000, they lost 2-0 in the semifinals.
Team News
Although Osimhen is Nigeria’s best player, the Napoli striker’s persistent careless finishing is concerning for the country as they attempt to win an African championship for the fourth time. Despite tiring as the quarterfinal went on, the African Footballer of the Year is set to start and be partnered as a forward by the highly effective Lookman and Moses Simon in Peseiro’s 3-4-2-1 formation. If any of the three players get arrested on Wednesday, Nigeria may lose Simon, Ola Aina, or Calvin Bassey to suspensions in the potential championship game.
Due to their yellow cards against Morocco in the round of 16, Aubrey Modiba, Grant Kekana, and Mothobi Mvala run the risk of missing out on a potential South African final. Similar to the Super Eagles, Broos’s team has not given up a goal since their opening match against Namibia. The AFCON 2017 champion manager is unlikely to alter the defense that has shut out opponents for four straight games.
Nigeria 1-0 South Africa
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