The life of the favorites is far from being a long, quiet river in this Can-2024. New illustration with Nigeria forced to play its place in the final of the competition on penalties against South Africa on Wednesday February 7, the end of a match with an improbable scenario.

From the first minutes of this semi-final, the Super Eagles took the game into their own hands with very high pressure which disrupted the recovery of Bafana Bafana. The first alert comes in the 13th minute. But Osimhen is too fair to head a free kick despite the hazardous exit of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Despite possession to their advantage and the incessant activity of their detonator Ademola Lookman, author of the three Nigerian goals since the eighth, the Super Eagles fail to appear dangerous in the last thirty meters.

On the contrary, it was Bafana Bafana who got their heads out of the water with a first shot on target in the 13th minute. On a nice combination initiated by Percy Tau, Sithole attempts a long shot but too axial to worry Nwabili.

A few moments later, South Africa went on the offensive once again but the Bafana Bafana center, which could have turned into a goal ball, was saved at the last minute by Onyeka's sliding tackle. The Can's best defense suffers but holds up.

Against all expectations, South Africa plays the game. Banking on long balls behind the defenders, Hugo Broos' men are still threatening in the 38th minute. On an ingenious delivery from Percy Tau, Magkopa has plenty of time to adjust a full-axis ball but his curling shot is kept aside by the beautiful relaxation of the Nigerian goalkeeper.

Under pressure, Nigeria seeks to regain the initiative at the end of the first half but struggles to be incisive, like this missed header from a corner by Victor Omishen (43rd), the star of the Super Eagles, for a while uncertain for this meeting due to abdominal pain but ultimately started by José Peseiro.

Returning from the locker room, Nigeria, who had no extra time to play, seemed to gain the physical upper hand over a Bafana Bafana team whose squad changed little during the competition. More impactful, Nigeria's offensive armada begins to find spaces like this nice number from Lookman at the entrance to the area who gets rid of three defenders and serves Onyeka behind. But his shot flies into the stands.

Emotional elevator

Nigerian efforts were rewarded in the 63rd minute. Victor Oshimen is the victim of an illegal charge in the penalty area. William Troost-Ekong takes care of the sentence. His penalty is poorly taken but miraculously slips under the flank of the South African goalkeeper. The captain once again plays the executioners of the South Africans during the Can, he who scored the winning goal during the quarter-final which opposed the two teams in 2019.

But Bafana Bafana are far from having said their last word. On a sublime oriented control, Magkopa moves in the direction of movement and unleashes a powerful shot which skims the Nigerian post (63rd).

South Africa seems to have slowed down and Victor Osimhen takes the opportunity to double the lead. We then believe the match is over but the goal is canceled for a foul committed in the Nigerian area at the start of the action. Mokoena's counterattack is perfect. Nigeria, which already saw itself in an armchair with its toes fanned out in the CAN final, must start again.

Carried by this crazy scenario, Bafana-Bafana finished the match on fire. After a scissors attempt from Magkopa, Hugo Broos' men obtained at least two match points, including one for Mudau who inherited a ball pushed back by Nwabili but missed the inevitable by shooting over the crossbar.

Hit but not sunk, the Nigerian team dealt the first blows in extra time with a powerful shot from the inevitable Atalanta Bergamo striker, Ademola Lookman. Then Osimhen once again alerts Williams with a tight shot at the edge of the area (100th) then with a header at the start of the second period. The Super Eagles seem determined to avoid a penalty shootout against the South African goalkeeper, who made four saves in this exercise against Cape Verde.

In the 111th minute, Moffi went on goal alone but collapsed, destabilized by Kekana's tackle at the edge of the area. No penalty for Nigeria but a red for the South African in the last defender position. Eleven against ten, the Greens took the opportunity to give one last push but nothing worked. The two teams must decide on penalties. But in this little game, it is Nigeria which proves to be the most solid, thanks in particular to a great Nwabili. The Super Eagles are heading to the final of Can 2024 with the hope of winning the fourth continental title in its history.

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