Four knockouts, one final: Nigeria, South Africa’s WAFCON story continues”

Nigeria and South Africa will renew their long-standing rivalry as they face off in the semi-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) holding in Morocco.

PM News scooped that the  much anticipated encounter between both African footballing giants will kickstart 5pm Nigerian time on Tuesday in Casablanca.

This encounter marks the 13th meeting between the Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana since 2010, in what has become one of the fiercest rivalries in African women’s football.

In the 12 matches played between the two nations over the past 15 years, Nigeria has won five times, South Africa has won four, and three matches have ended in draws.

The teams have met four times in WAFCON knockout rounds, with Nigeria emerging victorious on three occasions.

The most recent high-profile encounter came in the 2018 WAFCON final, where both sides played out a goalless draw before Nigeria triumphed 4–3 in a penalty shootout.

Prior to that, the teams met in three consecutive semi-finals. In 2016, Nigeria secured a narrow 1–0 victory, and in 2014, the Falcons edged South Africa 2–1. South Africa’s only knockout win came in the 2012 semi-final, where they defeated Nigeria 1–0.

Nigeria, the most successful team in WAFCON history with 9 titles, and will be aiming to maintain their dominance on the continental stage.

However, South Africa has grown in stature and technical discipline in recent years, making this upcoming fixture a highly anticipated contest.

As both teams prepare for another semi-final meeting, the stakes could not be higher.

With a place in the final on the line, the match is expected to deliver intensity, drama, and another chapter in one of African football’s most compelling rivalries.

The Super Falcons have been tagged the most successful team in Africa, having won the title 9 times, they are now targeting their 10th title to further establish their dominance on the continent.