Despite a resilient effort, a 10-man Bafana Bafana faced a heart-wrenching defeat against Nigeria in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, losing 2-4 on penalties in Côte d’Ivoire.
Coach Hugo Broos’ valiant squad displayed remarkable courage throughout the match, forcing it into extra time and eventually a tense penalty shootout, despite being a man down after Grant Kekana received a red card in the final minutes of extra time.
The deadlock was broken in the 63rd minute when William Troost-Ekong netted a penalty for Nigeria after Victor Osimhen was brought down inside the area. However, South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena restored parity in the 90th minute, also converting a penalty against Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The penalty decision for Bafana Bafana was awarded after a VAR consultation by Egyptian referee Amin Omar. Despite the spirited effort, Bafana Bafana will now prepare to compete against the losing side in the second semi-final between hosts Côte d’Ivoire and DR Congo in the third-place playoff scheduled for Saturday.
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