Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho scored to give Nigeria a 4-2 penalty shootout win over South Africa on Wednesday after an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final thriller in Bouake.
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The match ended 1-1 after extra time and the three-time champions will face hosts Ivory Coast or Democratic Republic of Congo, who meet later, in Sunday’s final.
Both regular-time goals also came from the penalty spot, with captain William Troost-Ekong scoring after 67 minutes for Nigeria and Teboho Mokoena equalizing with a 90th-minute strike.
Mokoena’s equalizer came after Nigeria thought they had scored a second goal through a tap-in by star striker Victor Oshimen.
But play was called at the other end of the pitch after VAR alerted the Egyptian referee that South Africa’s Percy Thaw had been fouled in the area and the match referee agreed.
Khuliso Mudau had a chance to win it for South Africa in added time at the end of normal time, but it went wide when goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved a Mokoena free-kick.
South Africa finished with 10 men when Grant Kekana was sent off on 115 minutes for a foul on the last defender.
Nigeria came into the match with a perfect record against South Africa in the top African football competition having won three previous encounters.
The Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana (The Boys) 2-0 in a 2000 semi-final in Nigeria, 4-0 in a group match four years later in Tunisia and 2-1 in a 2019 quarter-final in Egypt.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro made one change to the team that beat Angola 1-0, bringing on Bright Osagi-Samuel for left-back Zaidou Sanousi, who did not train on the eve of the match.
Star Napoli forward Osimhen started for the three-time champions after recovering from an abdominal complaint that delayed his arrival at Bouake from Abidjan.
Osimhen terror
Some Nigerians at the stadium showed their support for Osimhen by wearing replicas of the protective face mask he still wears three years after the eye socket injury.
Belgium-born South Africa coach Hugo Broos also made one change after the penalty shootout win over Cape Verde with centre-back Siyanda Xulu recalled and Thapelo Morena dropped to the bench.
South Africa had an equal number of shots on target but more on target, more possession and forced more corners in a tense, spirited opening half.
Just a minute after kick-off, reigning African Player of the Year Osimhen knelt down holding his stomach, but continued after treatment and worked tirelessly.
When pre-match favorites Nigeria conceded a free-kick, Semi Ajayi headed past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who saved four penalties in the process against Cape Verde.
Percy Tau had a couple of half-chances for South Africa, but a weak shot and later a heavy first touch let him down in front of a crowd of 32,000.
Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who plays for South Africa’s top-flight side Chippa United, made a fine one-handed play to deny Evidence Makgopa as half-time approached.
With the Super Eagles in the ascendancy, the deadlock was broken midway through the second half when Mothobi Mvala fouled Osimhen and Troost-Ekong converted the penalty.
Makgopa shot wide with 15 minutes remaining as South Africa chased an equalizer in the central Ivory Coast city.
Then came Osimhen’s disallowed goal, Mokoena’s equaliser, Mudau’s miss and 30 minutes of continuous extra-time action, including Kekana’s red card, before penalties.
(AFP)