BY: Ayobami Atanda.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria booked their place in the AFCON final on Wednesday in a keenly contested match with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, in a penalty shootout.

The three-time African champion defeated the South African national team by 4 goals to 2 in the penalty shootout, having played a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes. The Nigerian national team skipper, Troost Ekong, had put Nigeria ahead in the 67th minute, having converted the foul against Victor Oshimen from the penalty spot. However, T. Mokoena’s penalty canceled the Super Eagles’ lead in the 90th minute, forcing the match to go into extra time.

G. Kekana’s red card in the 115 minutes gave Nigerians hope to score another goal, but all attempts proved abortive, making the match enter a penalty shootout. Stanley Nwabali, who has kept four clean sheets in the tournament, saved two penalty kicks, thereby ensuring the place of the biggest black nation in the final in Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Nigeria will face either DR Congo or the host country, Cote d’Ivoire in the biggest football competition in Africa. Nonetheless, the last time Nigeria won the Nations Cup, now known as the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) was in 2013, with Sunday Mba’s lone goal against Burkina Faso.