Nigeria secured their spot in the 2023 AFCON final after a thrilling penalty shootout victory against South Africa. The match saw Nigeria take a 1-0 lead through captain William Troost-Ekong and seemingly scored a second goal before VAR intervened and awarded South Africa a penalty. Teboho Mokoena converted the penalty, forcing the game into extra time. However, Nigeria ultimately triumphed in the penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Bobo Nwabali making two crucial saves. In the other semi-final, Cote d’Ivoire defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0, with Sébastian Haller scoring the lone goal in the 65th minute. The final will be played on Sunday, and it is a repeat of the second group game between the two nations which Nigeria won by a goal to nil. This is the first time Nigeria will be in the final again since they won the cup in 2013, which they beat Cote d’Ivoire in the semi-final enroute to winning the cup.
