Nigeria advances to Afcon final after thrilling penalty shootout victory

Nigeria secured a place in the final of Afcon after defeating South Africa 4-2 on penalties. The match was tightly contested, with Nigeria dominating territory early on but struggling to break through South Africa's well-organized defense. South Africa, on the other hand, focused on exploiting the space behind Nigeria's defense, making them the more threatening side. The first half ended goalless, but Nigeria took the lead in the second half when captain William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty. They appeared to seal the game with a goal from Victor Osimhen, but VAR ruled it out due to a foul by Alhassan Yusuf. In the final minutes of regular time, Teboho Mokoena equalized for South Africa from the penalty spot. Extra time saw both teams pushing for a winner, but neither could find the back of the net. In the penalty shootout, Ola Aina missed Nigeria's third penalty, but South Africa's Mokoena, Makgopa, and Mvala also failed to convert their penalties, allowing Nigeria to advance to the final. Nigeria will now face either Ivory Coast or DR Congo in the final.