Nigeria secured a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final after defeating South Africa 4-2 on penalties. They will now face Ivory Coast in the final match.
In the semifinal clash, Nigeria initially dominated territory but struggled to break through South Africa's well-organized defense. Conversely, South Africa targeted the space behind Nigeria's defense, posing a threat on counterattacks.
Despite the early dominance, the first half ended goalless. Nigeria stepped up their game in the second half and took the lead when captain William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty.
In the 85th minute, Nigeria appeared to seal the victory as Victor Osimhen found the net, but VAR intervened, ruling out the goal due to a foul by Alhassan Yusuf on Percy Tau. South Africa capitalized on the penalty, with Teboho Mokoena scoring to equalize just before the final whistle.
With no winner in regular time or extra time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Although Ola Aina missed Nigeria's third penalty, South Africa faltered with misses from Mokoena, Evidence Makgopa, and Mothobi Mvala, allowing Nigeria to clinch the victory and secure their place in the final.
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