South Africa and Nigeria are set to clash in one of the semifinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Ivory Coast.

The other semifinal will feature the host nation, Ivory Coast, against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria remains undefeated in the competition, with their least favorable result being a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in the opening match.

Conversely, South Africa has suffered only one defeat, which occurred in their opening game against Mali.

To advance to this stage, the Super Eagles triumphed over Angola and Cameroon in the knockout stages, while South Africa defeated Morocco and Cape Verde.

South Africa last won the AFCON in 1996, finishing as runners-up in 1998 and claiming third place in 2000. Nigeria lifted the trophy last in 2013.

Nigeria has favored a 3-4-3 formation, which has propelled them to this stage, transitioning to a 5-4-1 setup when defending, while South Africa employs a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The handlers of the Super Eagles confirmed that star striker Victor Osimhen will be available for the match. However, South Africa’s key winger, Thapelo Maseko, will miss the game due to a hamstring injury.

In addition to Osimhen, Nigeria boasts other key players such as William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, and Stanley Nwabali. South Africa features talents like Ronwen Williams, who made crucial saves, including four penalties against Cape Verde in their last match, and Teboho Mokoena, among others.

 

Head-to-head history and results

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong scored an 89th-minute winner when Nigeria knocked Bafana Bafana out of the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals, which was these two sides’ last meeting.

Matches Played: 22

South Africa Wins: 7

Nigeria Wins: 9

Draws: 6

 

Venue and time:

The Nigeria vs South Africa match will take place on Wednesday at Stade Bouaké in Bouaké, Ivory Coast.