Nigeria and South Africa will be rekindled in Ivory Coast today as Bafana Bafana faces Super Eagles in the first semi-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade de la Paix.
The much talked about encounter could be a repeat of the 2000 semi-final that saw the Super Eagles defeat Bafana 2-0 in Lagos.
Nigeria is looking to win a fourth AFCON, while South Africa is chasing their second trophy of the tournament.
Following the 2000 semi-final defeat, the Super Eagles edged Bafana Bafana in the quarterfinals in the 2019 edition in Egypt with a narrow 2-1 win. Nigeria is undefeated so far, posting four straight victories. They have glory in their sights but there are two more rivers to cross.
The last time both sides met was in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt where the Super Eagles had a 2-1 victory.
Ahead of today’s encounter, South Africa will aim to improve on their head-to-head stats as Nigeria boasts seven wins, South Africa with just one win in 12 matches.
A meeting of two imperious defences will decide the first entrant to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final when South Africa and Nigeria meet on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles Nigeria is tipped as favourites heading into this clash based on their squad depth and experience.
South Africa have never beaten Nigeria at the Cup of Nations, losing 2-0 in the semis in 2000, being defeated 4-0 in 2004 and suffering elimination after a 2-1 loss at the last eight in 2019, underscoring the one-sided nature of this fixture at the continental showpiece.
Recall that this will be the fourth encounter between Nigeria and South Africa at the AFCON, with the Super Eagles winning the previous three by an aggregate score of 8-1.
