Is it possible for Nigeria’s Super Eagles to continue to dominate South Africa?

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will play the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday at the Stade de la Paix stadium in Bouake in the opening semi-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The match on Wednesday will mark the 15th time that the two nations have faced off on a full international level. Of the previous 14 matches, Nigeria has won seven, with two being won by South Africa and five being drawn.

The Super Eagles defeated Angola in a close match to go to the semi-finals of the AFCON, giving up just one goal during the tournament.

Prior to this Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Bouake, South Africa will be favoured against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

In contrast to South Africa’s global rankings of 66th and 12th, the Super Eagles are placed 42nd in the world and 12th in Africa.

Over the last ten months, the Super Eagles have won ten of their competitive games. In October 2023, they even pulled off a rare friendly victory over Mozambique in Portugal.

South Africa is only looking for their second AFCON championship, having won the 1996 tournament on home soil while Nigeria was not there. Nigeria is going for a fourth AFCON title.

Following a split with President Nelson Mandela over the November 1995 killing of environmental rights campaigner Ken Saro Wiwa and several others, late former military leader Sani Abacha prevented Nigeria from taking part.

The two teams met for the first time in October 1992 at the National Stadium in Suriuler, Lagos, for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification match. Richard Owubokiri and the late Rashidi Yekini scored goals in Nigeria’s 4-0 victory. At Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, the second leg ended in a scoreless draw.

In the 2000 AFCON semi-finals that Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted, Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-0, with goals coming from Tijani Babangida.

Nigeria defeated South Africa 4-0 in an AFCON 2004 group stage match played in Tunisia.

Samuel Chukwueze and William Ekong scored goals to help the Super Eagles defeat Bafana Bafana 2-1 in Cairo four years ago at the AFCON quarterfinals. Both players will be in Bouake, with Chukwueze probably having some role in the action and Ekong leading the team on the pitch.