Nigeria - South Africa predictions and free betting tips [07/02/2024]

Today, as part of the first semi-final of the African Cup of Nations, the teams of Nigeria and South Africa are going to clash.

Nigeria's national team

Nigeria's team, hosting one of the most star-studded squads in the African Cup of Nations, has emerged as key contenders for the tournament victory, especially after the unexpected elimination of such powerful rivals as Senegal and Morocco. It should be noted that South Africa was the entity that caused Morocco's exit from the competition, by defeating them in the round of 16.

In the quarterfinal match against Angola, Nigeria emerged victorious with a minimum score of 1:0, causing a nervous tension among its fans. Ademola Lookman, who plays for Atalanta and is considered as one of the leaders of the Nigerian team, scored the decisive goal in the 41st minute of the match, assisted by Moses Simon. The second half of the game progressed at quite an uneventful pace, littered with fouls and limited goal-scoring opportunities, but the final result allowed Nigeria to deservedly advance to the semi-finals.

On their journey to the quarterfinals, the Nigerians displayed dominance by trouncing the Cameroon team. In this game, goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho, who replaced his injured colleague, successfully dealt with all attempts of attack from their opponents. Lookman scored thanks to a mishap from the Cameroonian defense and goalkeeper, then proceeded to double his tally towards the end of the match. Alex Iwobi's shift to the central area of the pitch was successful and the attacking trio of Victor Osimhen, Lookman and Moses Simon showcased an impressive display.

Nigeria's performance at the group stage left much to be desired in quality, despite its star-studded lineup, but the efficiency was at its maximum. Finishing the stage in second place with 7 points, the Nigerians struggled in a match against Guinea-Bissau, winning only thanks to an auto-goal from their opponents. The team also encountered hardships in matches against Equatorial Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, but still gathered crucial points. Despite this, a confident win against Cameroon in the quarterfinals and subsequent success against Angola allows Nigeria to look forward to the tournament future with optimism.

South Africa national team

The South African team is one of the biggest sensations of the current African Cup of Nations, reaching the stage it hasn't seen in 24 years. In the round of 16, the team surprised everyone by defeating a strong Moroccan side 2:0, even though the game could've turned out different had their opponents capitalized on all their chances and Hakimi scored a penalty towards the end of regular time. Later on, a mere three minutes later, Mokoena doubled the advantage, despite a clear disadvantageous xG score of 0.29 against Morocco's 2.15.

In the quarterfinals, the Republic of South Africa could've suffered a loss at the hands of Cape Verde, but a shot hitting the bar in the last minute and an exceptional save from goalkeeper Williams saved the team. It was thanks to Williams, who saved two penalties, that the team advanced to the semi-finals.

South Africa finished the group stage in second place with 4 points. In the final match of the group stage, they drew against Tunisia, displaying confident play and control over the course of the match. In the first match of the tournament, the team suffered a loss to Mali with a scoreline of 0:2. Percy Tau failed to convert a penalty, thus influencing the match's outcome, but an impressive 4:0 thrashing of Namibia in the second round where Tau did convert a penalty, and Zvane scoring twice, told a different story.

Before the African Cup of Nations, the South African team secured a crucial victory over Morocco in the qualifiers, which partly compensated for previous disappointments. Percy Tau stands out in the team's attack, along with Mihlali Mayambela, although the majority of players hail from the domestic league, which makes the South African team less star-studded but no less motivated for success.

Head-to-Head 

In the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations on July 10, 2019, the Nigerian team met with South Africa, coming out victorious with a score of 2:1. The previous encounter between the teams on November 17, 2018, also in the qualifiers for the same tournament, ended in a 1:1 draw. On June 10, 2017, in another qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations, South Africa sensationally defeated Nigeria 2:0 on their turf. On March 29, 2015, in a friendly match, the teams shared the spoils with a score of 1:1. On November 19, 2014, a qualifier also ended in a 2:2 draw.

Prediction for the Nigeria - South Africa match

The South Africans, without any bright stars on their side, managed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2000 purely based on the organization of their play. Nigeria has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far, in the first round against Equatorial Guinea, and displays excellent coordination at the back with its acclaimed attack led by Osimhen, who seems to be not quite in form yet. But in decisive matches, it will be the attack that plays an important role, South Africa obviously won't be launching forward and with Simon, Lookman and Victor from Napoli in the Nigerian attack, they should be able to score at least one goal and advance to the final of the African Cup of Nations.