The summit of African football is about to take place, and the match between Nigeria and South Africa will undoubtedly become the focus of attention. On the stage of the African Cup of Nations, the defensive strength of both teams should not be underestimated, perhaps this will be a life and death battle decided by a goal.
I was expecting Nigeria to be on fire in this year's Afcon, and like many fans, I was optimistic about the performance of star striker Vitor Osungham, but the reality is that Nigeria's solid defense has been the killer app for the team, and they have only conceded one goal so far. This is all due to the tactical arrangement of the head coach Pesaro, in the non-control phase, he flexibly changes the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 formation, so that the team's defense is tight and does not give the opponent any opportunity to take advantage of. In the match against Angola, Nigeria won a thrilling battle, and Luka's three goals in the knockout rounds put him at the top of the team's scoring charts, along with Widow Osungham and Dzos Aikan. Unfortunately, Osungham left the game early due to injury and Nigeria desperately needs him back as this is the first time the Super Eagles have reached the last four since they won the title in 2013.
South Africa are also excellent in defense, they last won the Afcon in 1996, and this time they are in the last 4 again since 2000. Like Nigeria, South Africa's defense is also rock solid, with a record of 4 games without conceding a goal equal to that of Nigeria. This is due to the tactics of manager Hiu Gobros, who has created a defense system with Mamlodi Sindones at the core, where overall coordination is crucial.
Brose's illustrious career in the African Cup of Nations means a lot to South Africa, having led Cameroon to the title five years ago, and his wealth of experience in winning the tournament will play a key role in the tense match.
Despite predictions that it will be a whitewash, Nigeria does not want it to turn into a penalty shootout. Apart from keeping a clean sheet, South African goalkeeper and captain Williams, who became a national hero by saving four goals in the last eight match, will have the psychological advantage if the match goes to penalties.
