Nigeria’s Mission X juggernaut rumbles inexorably to the finish line, as the Super Falcons say they are determined to abort the title-retaining dreams of Cup holders South Africa when both sides clash in the second semi final of the 13th Women AFCON finals in Casablanca on Tuesday.
In the competition’s 27-year history, the Super Falcons have never failed to make the semi finals, and boastful Zambia turned out to be too weak to shred that record when both teams met in the quarter finals on Friday, an encounter from which the Super Falcons ran out 5-0 winners.
South Africa’s Banyana Banyana have been traditionally a miserable opposition to the Nigerian girls for decades. It took the girls from the Rainbow Nation 17 years, after a first meeting in March 1995, to secure a win over the Falcons – a 1-0 win in a Women AFCON match in Equatorial Guinea 13 years ago. Before then, they serially suffered, their take-homes including 7-1 and 5-0 drubbings.
The Banyana netted another Women AFCON win in Ghana in 2018 (group stage), but suffered heartbreak in a penalty shootout in the final that earned Nigeria a 9th continental title. Three years ago, the Banyana again had the upper hand in a group stage match (2-1) and went on to win their first African title after beating host nation Morocco (penalty shootout winners over Nigeria in the semi finals) in the final.
Debate has been fierce over the past few weeks as to which team is the best in Africa, between the Falcons and the Banyana, and that question should be properly attended to at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium on Tuesday evening.
In 10 previous Women AFCON clashes between both nations, Nigeria have been triumphant six times, with South Africa winning on three occasions. The only one that ended in a draw (2018 Women AFCON Final) was eventually won by Nigeria following a penalty shootout.
In total, both teams have clashed 25 times, since the first meeting on 4th March 1997 – a 1995 FIFA Women’s World qualifying match that the Falcons won 4-1. In the return leg in South Africa two weeks later, the Banyana were pumped 7-1. The Super Falcons have won 15 times, with six games ending in draws and the Banyana winning four times.
South Africa’s biggest win over Nigeria remains a 4-2 spanking they handed to an understrength Nigeria in the Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament in Lagos in September 2021. Most recently, the Falcons rode over the Banyana to qualify for their first appearance at the Women Olympic Football Tournament in 16 years.
Two years ago, both the Falcons and the Banyana reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Down Under. However, the Falcons were the ones that wowed the universal audience with their guts, grit and flair, in defeating co-hosts Australia right at Brisbane’s Lang Park and leaving the tournament unbeaten in regulation time.
Here in Morocco, Nigeria forward Chinwendu Ihezuo is firmly in the race for the top scorer’s award, as she is presently on three goals, one behind Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak and Senegalese forward Nguenar Ndiaye.
No doubt, the indices and elements are there for an explosive Women AFCON semi final clash in Casablanca on Tuesday evening.
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