AFCON Semi-Finals: Nigeria Takes on South Africa, while Ivory Coast Faces DR Congo in High-Stakes

In a thrilling turn of events, the AFCON semi-finals have been set, promising an electrifying showdown between some of Africa's football powerhouses. Nigeria is geared up to take on South Africa, while Ivory Coast braces itself for a face-off against DR Congo.

<iframe width="789" height="444" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SU9rM82ddaE" title="???? Semi-Finals Schedule Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (2024) Match Fixtures" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Nigeria, with its rich footballing history and formidable squad, will be looking to assert its dominance against South Africa, who have shown resilience and flair throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast, led by their star players, will aim to outmaneuver DR Congo and secure their spot in the finals.

Côte d'Ivoire have faced DR Congo five times previously at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (W2 D2 L1), with this their first encounter since a 2-2 draw in the 2017 group stages.

  In the knockout phase, the only previous meeting between Côte d'Ivoire and DR Congo was at the semi-final stage in 2015; the Elephants won 3-1 and went on to win the trophy that year.
  This is Côte d'Ivoire’s 10th appearance in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, becoming the fifth nation to play in as many as 10 semi-finals, along with Nigeria (15, inc. this year), Egypt (13), Ghana (12) and Cameroon (10). It’s their first since 2015 when they beat this year’s opponents DR Congo 3-1 under Herve Renard.

  DR Congo have reached their sixth CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-final – they have won the previous two against the hosts (v Ethiopia in 1968 and Egypt in 1974) but have never won a semi-final match when not playing that year’s hosts, losing all three (1972, 1998 and 2015).
   Côte d'Ivoire reached the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-final thanks to a 2-1 win over Mali, which saw them score in the 90th and 120th minutes to win. They were only the second team to score in the 90th and 120th minutes in the same AFCON match, along with Morocco vs Algeria in 2004.

In the rollercoaster ride of the tournament, where upsets have become the norm, one of the most remarkable moments came when South Africa clinched a stunning 2-0 victory against the formidable 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, Morocco, in a last-16 encounter. This unexpected triumph sent shockwaves through the footballing world, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the beautiful game. South Africa's underdog status was swiftly overturned as they showcased resilience, determination, and tactical prowess on the field.