ANKARA
The semifinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be played on Wednesday as the tournament’s hosts Ivory Coast are among the final four.
With defending champions Senegal and record holders Egypt out of the contest, Nigeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are set to vie for the African title.
The AFCON was scheduled to take place in the summer of 2023, but the African football authority moved it to 2024 to avoid matches during the rainy season in Ivory Coast.
Nigeria will face South Africa in the first match on Wednesday.
Nigeria has won the AFCON title three times in history, and it has been over 10 years since the Super Eagles last secured it.
South Africa, also known as Bafana Bafana, were the AFCON winners in 1996, their sole title.
In the last 16, Nigeria eliminated five-time champions Cameroon 2-0 to proceed as Ademola Lookman, an Atalanta player in Italy, scored twice.
Then Nigeria beat Angola 1-0 as Lookman was on the score sheet again.
Meanwhile, South Africa stunned the 2022 FIFA World Cup’s surprise package Morocco 2-0 in the last 16.
Bafana Bafana then beat Cape Verde 2-1 on penalties to reach the semis.
Ivory Coast vs. DR Congo
On Wednesday, hosts Ivory Coast will take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in the other semifinal tie.
Ivory Coast, who were the African champions in 1992 and 2015, hardly made knockouts in the ongoing AFCON.
The Elephants finished third in their group to advance to the last 16. They were among the four highest-ranked third-place nations in the group stage.
Ivory Coast beat reigning champions Senegal 5-4 on penalties in the Round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, Ivory Coast won against Mali 2-1 after extra time with a very late goal scored by Oumar Diakite.
In the last 16, DR Congo, who last won the AFCON in 1974, knocked record holders Egypt out of the tournament.
Egypt returned home after they lost 8-7 on penalties.
DR Congo then beat Guinea 3-1 to qualify for the semifinals.
The winners of the semifinal ties will reach Sunday’s final at Abidjan’s Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
The losing teams will play a third-place playoff on Saturday.
