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  • AFCON 2023: How Super Eagles defeated South Africa

    AFCON 2023: How Super Eagles defeated South Africa

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Wednesday night reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after defeating South Africa 4-2 on penalties.

    Regulation and extra time ended 1-1 after both teams converted one penalty each late in the second half of the thrilling encounter.

    Captain Troost Ekong converted from the spot in the 67th minute after African footballer of the year, Victor Osimhen was fouled in the box 18.

    Also, in the 90th minute, T Mokoena also converted a spot kick to equalize for the South Africans.

    All efforts to score another goal in regulation and extra time proved abortive as the Moroccan referee signalled the end of the encounter after 120 minutes.

    Apart from Ola Aina who blasted his penalty over the bar, Terem Moffi, Keneth Omeruo, Troost Ekong and Kelechi Iheanacho all converted their penalties  while the South Africans missed two.

    The result meant that Super Eagles are one game away from the clinching the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire.

  • AFCON 2023: Super Eagles will beat Bafana Bafana, ex-South African winger, Khanye predicts

    AFCON 2023: Super Eagles will beat Bafana Bafana, ex-South African winger, Khanye predicts

    Super Eagles of Nigeria may have won the semifinal clash against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa even before the match kicks off, if a prediction by ex- South Africa winger, Junior Khanye, is anything to go by.

    It’s over for us,” Khanye said. “We are lucky to be where we are at the moment.

    “Nigeria is going to beat us, and that is when we will get a wake-up call. I’m not saying this because I’m being negative, but it’s just me stating facts.

    “I love Bafana Bafana, and I want to see them doing well. But, this is our last game, those guys (Nigeria) are going to punish us,” said Khanye as cited by The Citizen.

    The former Kaizer Chiefs player made the declaration in his analysis of South Africa’s performance during their quarterfinal game against Cape Verde, which Bafana Bafana won 2-1 in penalty shootout.

    He stressed that they were lucky to have overcome the challenges by Cape Verde to reach the semifinal.

    The 38-year-old advised his compatriots to pack their bags, adding that it would be difficult to beat Nigeria. Khanye took a swipe at the team for their defensive approach to the match against Cape Verde, adding that they were only lucky to have won. He gave kudos to goalkeeper and captain, Ronwen Williams, for saving four of the five kicks taken by the opponents.

    “We could have lost that game. But luckily, we were very lucky. And listen, I’m saying we were very lucky, but we also need to give to Ronwen Williams (some credits). He was the star of the show and saved those penalties very well, we must give credit to him for that.

    “But, when it comes to playing, we were terrible. We were defending too much. I think our game against Cape Verde was our worst at the tournament when I looked at the other matches.”

    I don’t think that we were at our best; any team can beat us. Look at the chances that Cape Verde created; it’s all luck. Any of those chances could have easily gone in. But again, we have to say thank you to our defence. They did a very important job despite Cape Verde victory.

  • AFCON 2023: Osimhen confirmed for selection against Bafana Bafana

    AFCON 2023: Osimhen confirmed for selection against Bafana Bafana

    Officials in the camp of the  Super Eagles of Nigeria has confirmed that Victor Osimhen will be available for selection in todays’s must win semi-final cracker against the  Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

    This was confirmed on the team’s official Twitter page on Tuesday evening.

    The tweet reads: “Victor Osimhen has been declared fit and available for selection in the semi-final clash against South Africa on Wednesday.

    “He has joined the team in Bouaké and has trained with the squad today.”

    Osimhen’s availability to face Bafana Bafana was in doubt, after he failed to travel with the squad yesterday.

    However, he is now expected to lead the line, as Nigeria continue their quest to win the trophy for the fourth time ever.

    The 25-year-old attacker has scored just one goal in five appearances for the Super Eagles so far at the ongoing AFCON 2023 but his performance for the team has been rated top-notch.

  • AFCON 2023: We are not worried about our poor record against Super Eagles – Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Williams

    AFCON 2023: We are not worried about our poor record against Super Eagles – Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Williams

    Ronwen Williams, the Bafana Bafana of South Africa goalkeeper, has fired warnings to the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of tonight semi-final clash in Bouake.

    According to Williams, statistics don’t play games in football.

    Williams, who recently put his name in history’s book after saving four penalties during shoot-outs against Cape Verde in the quarter-final, gave the warning during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that historically, the Super Eagles have more wins against the Bafana Bafana in terms of head-to-head.

    However, Williams insisted that Hugo Broos’ side are not worried about their poor record against Nigeria.

    “Stats don’t play the game. You know many statistics that were against us in this tournament and we proved that stats don’t play the game,” Williams said.

    “So, what has happened in the past, we can’t change that, but what we can change is tomorrow’s result, tomorrow’s performance. So we don’t look at that because that can’t change now.

    “We control what we can control and that is tomorrow’s performance and tomorrow’s result.”

  • AFCON 2023: Injury woes hit South Africa as key player set to miss clash against Super Eagles

    AFCON 2023: Injury woes hit South Africa as key player set to miss clash against Super Eagles

    South African national team, Bafana Bafana has suffered a huge injury setback ahead of their clash with the Super Eagles of Nigeria as one of their key players, Thapelo Maseko is injured and may miss the remainger of the tournament.

    The 21-year-old forward cropped an injury during the quarter-final clash against Cape Verde, in which South Africa emerged victorious. This unfortunate development has cast doubts over Maseko’s availability for the crucial semi-final against Nigeria.

    Thapelo Maseko is a versatile winger, capable of playing on both the right and left sides, as well as functioning as an attacking midfielder.

    Should Maseko miss tomorrow’s encounter against Nigeria, his absence will be felt as he has been instrumental for his club, Sundowns, this season, contributing with one assist and two goals in 16 appearances across all competitions.

    The nature of Maseko’s injury is uncertain, but there are feelers that the young attacker is currently on crutches and will not be able to participate in the remaining matches of AFCON.

     

     

  • AFCON 2023: See head to head between Nigeria, South Africa

    AFCON 2023: See head to head between Nigeria, South Africa

    As the AFCON 2023 gradually winds down, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will slug it out with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday in Bouakke for a place in the final of the competition.

    Both Teams have clashed 15 times before now, with most games won recorded by the Super Eagles of Nigeria,  below is the Head to Head between the two footballing nations.

    Nigeria vs South Africa Head to Head

    10 Oct 1992: Nigeria 4 South Africa 0 (1994 WCq, Lagos)

    16 Jan 1993: South Africa 0 Nigeria 0 (1994 WCq, Johannesburg)

    10 Feb 2000: Nigeria 2 South Africa 0 (AFCON semi-final, Lagos)

    31 Jan 2004: Nigeria 4 South Africa 0 (AFCON finals, Monastir, Tunisia)

    17 Nov 2004: South Africa 2 Nigeria 1 (International Friendly, Durban)

    1 June 2008: Nigeria 2 South Africa 0 (2010 FIFA WCq, Abuja)

    6 Sept 2008: South Africa 0 Nigeria 1 (2010 FIFA WCq, Port Elizabeth)

    14 Aug 2013: South Africa 0 Nigeria 2 (International Friendly, Johannesburg)

    10 Sept 2014: South Africa 0 Nigeria 0 (2015 AFCON qualifier, Johannesburg)

    19 Nov 2014: Nigeria 2 South Africa 2 (2015 AFCON qualifier, Uyo)

    29 Mar 2015: South Africa 1 Nigeria 1 (International Friendly, Durban)

    10 June 2017: Nigeria 0 South Africa 2 (2019 AFCON qualifier, Uyo)

    17 Nov 2018: South Africa 1 Nigeria 1 (2019 AFCON qualifier, Johannesburg)

    10 July 2019: Nigeria 2 South Africa 1 (2019 AFCON q-final, Cairo)

  • AFCON 2023: South Africans plays fast, counter-attacking football – Oliseh warns Super Eagles

    AFCON 2023: South Africans plays fast, counter-attacking football – Oliseh warns Super Eagles

    Former Super Eagles Captain and  head coach, Sunday Oliseh has warned the team to be wary of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

    Oliseh advised the team to put up their best performance against the fast South Africans, saying the South Africans are a dangerous counter-attacking side.

    Jose Peseiro’s men will be up against the Bafana Bafana in an AFCON semi-final tie at the Stade de la Paix  in Bouakke on Wednesday by 6pm Nigerian time.

    The former midfielder also advised the Super Eagles not to allow the game to drag into a penalty shootout.

    “South Africa are compact and dangerous when they go forward,” Oliseh said on a Channels TV programme.

    “When they go forward, they can hurt us.

    “And we should not allow the game to go to a penalty shootout because of the aura around the heroics of the goalkeeper.

    “He saved four penalties and the Super Eagles must have watched that.”

    South Africa and Nigeria last met at the AFCON in the 2000 edition which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana.

    The Super Eagles won the semi-final tie 2-0 with Tijani Babangida scoring a brace.

  • AFCON 2023: Bafana Bafana of South Africa bounces back, thrashes Namibia 4-0

    AFCON 2023: Bafana Bafana of South Africa bounces back, thrashes Namibia 4-0

    The Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Sunday night thrashed Namibia 4-0 with Themba Zwane scoring twice in the first 16 minutes of the encounter.

    Recall that Percy Tau missed a spot-kick in Bafana Bafana’s opening defeat by Mali, but he scored one this time to open the floodlight of goals.

    Substitute Thapelo Maseko made it four when Lloyd Kazapua failed to handle his strike from Teboho Mokoena’s long ball.

    The result meant that both sides are locked on three points after the first two matches at AFCON.

    The two sides from Southern Africa are guaranteed a place in the last 16 should they win their deciding matches for the knockout stage on Wednesday (17:00 GMT), when South Africa face Tunisia and Namibia meet Mali.

  • 2026 WC: We will beat Nigeria to group C ticket – Bafana Bafana coach, Broos boasts

    2026 WC: We will beat Nigeria to group C ticket – Bafana Bafana coach, Broos boasts

    South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos has boasted that  Bafana Bafana will beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria to the group C ticket of the 2026 World Cup.

    In the draws made on Thursdayby FIFA, South Africa alongside four others countries were pitched in the same group as Nigeria.

    Zimbabwe, Benin Republic, Rwanda, and Lesotho are the other teams in the group.

    According to the format, all group winners, 9 in number will represent Africa at the 2026 World Cup billed for Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America.

    It will be the first time that three countries will be hosting the Mundial.

    The last co-hosted World Cup was held in Korea and Japan in 2002 with Brazil claiming the first prize.

    Africa could also earn another spot but the best-placed runners-up team will go through a play-off for Africa’s 10th spot.

    However, the Belgian believes his side has the quality to make it in the group.

    “The away games will be very important in a group like ours, but now a little bit more because we have five difficult away games for different reasons,” he told safa.net.

    “I think it is possible for South Africa to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup first in the group.”

    The qualifiers will start in November.

    Nigeria and South Africa missed out on the last edition that was held in the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

    The new format will see 48 teams compete against the previous 32 team-format.

  • Belgian Hugo Broos appointed Bafana Bafana soccer coach

    Belgian Hugo Broos appointed Bafana Bafana soccer coach

    The South African Football Association (SAFA) has appointed Belgian Hugo Broos as the new Bafana Bafana coach.

    The former Cameroon coach is expected in South Africa next week where he is scheduled to meet all football stakeholders, including members of the media.

    Broos, 69, said he was excited to take charge of one of the biggest teams in the African continent.

    “South Africa has a rich football history and is among the powerhouses in the continent. The country is full of quality players and I am coming to coach a truly football nation with massive potentials,’’ said Broos.

    He said his priority would be to build a completely new Bafana Bafana team, able to make a huge statement in coming major global tournaments such as the Total Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.

    ‘’My focus will be to weave in new players who have hunger and desire to achieve things. Young players are ambitious and want to prove a point. I need to start from there because I want to build a strong Bafana Bafana side for the future,” he added.

    After missing on next year’s Total Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021, his first mission will be the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Bafana Bafana are in Group G alongside Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

    Broos won the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations title with Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in Gabon. He guided the likes of Club Brugge, Anderlecht, Genk (Belgium), Trabzonspor (Turkey) and JS Kabylie and NA Dey (Algeria).