Nigeria Beats South Africa to Reach AFCON Final

Bobo Nwabali's two crucial saves propelled Nigeria to a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over South Africa, securing their place in the AFCON final. They will now face either Ivory Coast or DR Congo in the ultimate showdown.

Despite early territorial dominance by Nigeria, they found it challenging to breach South Africa's well-organized defense. Conversely, South Africa exploited spaces behind Nigeria's defense, posing a constant threat.

The first half ended goalless, but Nigeria gained momentum in the second half, with Captain William Troost-Ekong breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot.

In the 85th minute, Nigeria seemed to seal the win as Victor Osimhen netted a superb counterattack goal. However, VAR intervened, detecting a foul by Alhassan Yusuf on Percy Tau in the build-up. In injury time, Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty to level the score.

Both teams pushed for a winner in extra time, but neither succeeded. Despite Ola Aina's miss in Nigeria's third penalty, South Africa faltered as Mokoena, Evidence Makgopa, and Mothobi Mvala missed their first, third, and fourth penalties, respectively, allowing the Super Eagles to clinch victory.

Nigeria's stellar performance in the AFCON tournament has earned them a spot in the final, where they aim to add another trophy to their collection.