SUPER Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was the hero tonight as the team prevailed 4-2 on penalties over South Africa in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire to reach the final of the AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Chippa United goalkeeper saved two of South Africa’s four kicks while the Super Eagles scored four of their five, with Ola Aina the only one to miss.
A drama-filled full-time and extra-time had ended 1-1, with both teams scoring their goals from the penalty spot.
The Super Eagles, after surviving intense pressure from a bright Bafana Bafana side, took the lead in the 66th minute, William Troost-Ekong scoring the penalty that was awarded after Victor Osimhen was brought down in the box.
Nigeria struggled to contain South Africa in the first half but had an improved second half and it was a brilliant piece of play by Osimhen to win the penalty, the Napoli star dribbling past two Bafana defenders before the third one brought him down.
Osimhen thought he had given Nigeria the second goal in the 88th minute after tapping home from close range but a dramatic intervention from VAR turned the match around.
Replays showed that there was indeed a foul in the Super Eagles box at the start of the move that led to Osimhen’s goal, and after going to the pitchside monitor, the referee cancelled Nigeria’s goal and awarded a penalty to South Africa.
Teboho Mokoena scored the penalty and tied the game on the stroke of full-time, taking the match into extra-time.
The extra 30 minutes produced no goal but also had its own VAR drama as South Africa’s Grant Kekana was sent off with five minutes to go after a review found him to have denied substitute Terem Moffi a clear goal-scoring opportunity with a foul.
South Africa held on with their 10 men and were confident going into the penalty shootout, relying on goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who had saved four kicks against Cape Verde in the quarter-finals.
However it was South Africa-based Nwabali that stole the show, saving Mokoena and Evidence Makgopa’s penalties, while Moffi, Kenneth Omeruo, Troost-Ekong and Kelechi Iheanacho converted for the Super Eagles.
In the final, Nigeria will face the winners of the second semi-final between Democratic Republic of Congo and hosts Cote d’Ivoire in Abijdan on Sunday.
