While this final is sure to be memorable for players and fans alike, the relationship between the two countries has long gone beyond football and evolved into a full-fledged, multi-layered rivalry that spans business, music and immigration.
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Ivory Coast vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1-0: CAF AFCON 2023 Semi-final – As it happens
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Nigeria vs. South Africa 4-2 So: AFCON 2023 Semi-Finals – It Depends
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Host Ivory Coast aims to continue AFCON revival against Democratic Republic of Congo
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Osimhen is a big question for Nigeria ahead of the AFCON semi-finals in South Africa
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The rivalry was on display at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday when South African pop star Tyra was named the inaugural winner of the Best African Music Performance award, beating out four Nigerian artists.
There was ridicule from South Africans and criticism from Nigerians on social media, laying the foundations for a new chapter in the rivalry.
Nigeria will face South Africa in the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations on February 7, 2024, giving them a good chance of playing for the continent's biggest football prize.Courtesy of CAF
fierce rivalry
These two countries have built a close relationship on and off the field for many years. While South Africa was fighting apartheid, Nigeria's Pan-African stance provided an important source of support for the African National Congress in its fight against white minority rule. The Nigerian government used military aid, financial support, and high-level diplomacy to support liberation efforts, culminating in the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first black president in 1994.
Ironically, Mandela's defiance of the Nigerian government, over the murder of nine human rights defenders, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, under then military head of state Sani Abacha, was the key to football in both countries. This caused the above conflict. After winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria were favorites to defend their title at the 1996 tournament in South Africa. However, following criticism from Mandela, Abacha announced a boycott of the tournament, citing concerns for the welfare of Nigerian athletes. In the absence of the Super Eagles, the hosts won their first and so far only AFCON title on debut. Although it was a moment of victory for South Africa, there was and still is a strong opinion that Nigeria would have retained the title had they played, and Nigeria's Olympic soccer gold medal later that year changed that view. It got even stronger.
When the two teams finally met in his AFCON conference in 2000, the 1994 champions proved their winning record. With a place in the finals at stake, the Super Eagles calmly defeated Bafana Bafana, a team that had performed well in the tournament so far. This was the last time South Africa reached the semi-finals. Since 2014, Nigeria has largely become Africa's largest economy, displacing South Africa as still the continent's most industrialized economy. With both countries' economies currently stalling, one commentator described the match as a "derby of struggling economies."
South African broadcaster Robert Marawa told Al Jazeera: ``The love-hate relationship between South Africa and Nigeria touches on many issues, from the fact that they are Africa's number one economic hub, to Nigeria's claim that South Africa could never have won the 1996 AFCON.'' The late Stephen Keshi When he was lining up in the tunnel to substitute alongside Bafana Bafana (during the 1992 World Cup qualifiers in Lagos), he told (former international players) Bennett Masinga and Daniel Mudoh, ``Be the ball boys.'' " I asked.
"Then the Grammy Awards are this week and Tyra from South Africa wins Best African Music Performance over Burna Boy and Davido, both South Africans who were unhappy about Nigerians bringing their girlfriends etc. ," he said. "While this is difficult, it is clear that the love between our two countries is not lost."
With the rise of social media, there is a growing debate about the origins and dominance of each country's music scene, with amapiano, a genre of South African house music, as the starting point.
Nigerian television personality Ebuka Obi Uchendu said, "We both have some of the best entertainers on the continent. Naturally, it will lead to a fight over who is the king of entertainment." "Both countries almost completely dictate the continent's trends in film, fashion, television and music. It is surprising that today the two biggest music genres on the continent are Nigeria's Afrobeats and South Africa's Amapiano. It's not."
A common belief among some Nigerians is that South Africa invented the amapiano, but that Nigerian artists such as Asake, Ginoleeski and Key refined the amapiano and gave it global appeal. This has prompted several South African entertainment figures, including star DJ Bunz, to condemn Nigeria's growing influence in the genre.
"Deep…and very personal."
But the primarily playful rivalry can occasionally take a turn into dark territory.
Post-apartheid South Africa's liberal immigration policy led to an influx of Nigerian nationals to the rainbow nation in the early 2000s. But as unemployment, crime and inflation rose, the country suffered a wave of xenophobic attacks, with foreign businesses and individuals becoming victims of violence.
In 2019, Nigerian authorities had to deport more than 600 nationals after riots in Pretoria and Johannesburg targeted foreign businesses.
"Sometimes it cuts deep and becomes very personal," Marawa admitted.
Ahead of Wednesday's semi-final, the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria felt the need to issue an advisory to Nigerian nationals living in South Africa. The press release called for "good behavior" and said "there must be no retaliation in the event of provocation."
In response, Pretoria on Tuesday rebuked Nigerians, calling it a "very unfortunate and regrettable statement" and adding The drama was further compounded by a statement issued by Eastern Cape club Chippa United on Wednesday in support of Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, one of the standout stars of this year's AFCON, against Bafana Bafana. It took a while.
"As a proud South African, I feel I am in a unique situation. ... Me and Chippa United support Stanley Nwabali and the Super Eagles of Nigeria," said club president Siviwe Chippa.・Mpengesi said. chance to rejoice
It's easy to see why this match means so much to both countries. For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to reaffirm the fact that, as Obi-Uchendu says, "there is no debate on the pitch about who is the leader" and for South Africa, as Marawa explains: . Humiliate Nigeria. "
In a tournament full of surprises, Nigeria and hosts Ivory Coast are the clear favorites for Wednesday's semi-final. The Super Eagles are aiming for their fourth AFCON title and the path to glory seems clear after many of the participating countries were eliminated earlier than expected. Losing to South Africa in the semi-finals would be seen as a disaster by millions of Nigerians.
This suits South Africa, who have come this far with the support of successful PSL team Mamelodi Sundowns, to play without the burden of expectations.
Little was expected of Bafana Bafana in this tournament, despite the team being led by 2017 champion Hugo Bruce. Although his team selection was controversial, the former Cameroon national team coach won over the doubters by taking South Africa further than ever before over two decades. The loss of 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco certainly made everyone sit up and take notice. "Despite heavy criticism, the Bulls remained loyal to their key players," Marawa said. "They know that no one expected them to get this far so there is no pressure on them and all the pressure is on Nigeria who are the favorites to win the tournament."
Regardless of the outcome, the reaction on social media will likely be fierce.
"Everyone wants the chance to 'cook' another country after a match and Nigerians have mastered this art the best," Obi Uchendu said. "Damage is in the DNA of Nigerians. So what better way to do that than to talk about the continent's biggest rival? "For every Nigerian, that bragging rights are in the DNA of Nigerians. Is required."
But South Africans seem confident they will be happy. "Well, if South Africa can get this victory, we'll never know how it ends," Marawa said. "Amapiano echoes from the Cape to Cairo and Abidjan!"
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