The Super Falcons of Nigeria, who have won the African championship nine times, are resolute in their mission to thwart South Africa’s hopes of defending their title as the two teams meet on Tuesday in Casablanca during the second semifinal of the 13th Women AFCON finals.
The Super Falcons have reached the semi-finals in every edition of the competition over its 27-year history. When they faced off against a boastful Zambia in the quarter-finals on Friday, the latter proved unable to break that record, with the Super Falcons winning 5-0.
For decades, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana have traditionally been a tough opponent for the Nigerian girls. It took the girls from the Rainbow Nation 17 years to secure a victory over the Falcons after their first meeting in March 1995 – a 1-0 win in a Women AFCON match in Equatorial Guinea 13 years ago. Prior to this, they experienced several defeats, including losses of 7-1 and 5-0. The Banyana secured another Women AFCON win in Ghana in 2018 (group stage) but faced heartbreak in a penalty shootout during the final that granted Nigeria its ninth continental title.
Three years ago, the Banyana took the lead in a group stage match (2-1) and clinched their first African title by defeating Morocco, the host nation, after they triumphed over Nigeria in the semifinals via a penalty shootout
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