Just hours before the much-anticipated Afcon semi-final between South Africa and Nigeria tonight, there is already drama brewing. DSTV Premiership side Chippa United boss, Siviwe Chippa Mpengesi, has announced that he will be supporting the Super Eagles instead of his home team, Bafana Bafana.
Mpengesi said that he will be rallying behind the Super Eagles because there is player from the Chilli Boys who is representing his club in the Afcon 2024. Bafana Bafana will tackle Nigeria at the Stade Bouak? Stadium in the Ivory Coast. The game is set to kick off at 7pm. "As the chairman of Chippa United FC and as a proud South African, I find myself in a unique position during this 2023 AFCON tournament in that our very own Nigeria international Stanley Nwabali has been a revelation; his performance for the Nigerian National Team has caught the eyes of the globe, earning him and our club international acclaim. With Stanley's rising profile and the international attention. For Chippa United FC, the benefits have been nothing but positive. Therefore, I and Chippa United FC stand behind our player Stanley Nwabali and the Nigerian Super Eagles against Bafana Bafana. We wish the Super Eagles all the best," said Mpengesi.
Meanwhile, the High Commission of Nigeria based in South Africa issued a safety advisory yesterday to its citizens residing in SA. The High Commission urged Nigerians to be mindful of their utterances, as well as where they choose to watch the match, especially in public places, implying that there will be violence should the Super Eagles win.
"Please refrain from engaging in loud, arguments or provocative celebrations should the Super Eagles win the match," the statement said. This did not sit well with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) which was quick to respond to the statement assuring Nigerians that South Africa does not pose any danger to them. Dirco Spokesperson Clayson Monyela through a media statement described the commission's advisory as unfortunate. "The advisory is regrettable because it seems to create alarm and unnecessary tension between the citizens of South Africa and Nigerians living in or visiting South Africa. The South African national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, has played against their Nigerian counterpart on many occasions and there has been no history of soccer hooliganism among South Africans associated with the outcome of such encounters," said Monyela.
It's crunch time for the two teams as the two teams meet to decide the first team through to the Afcon final. In their past matches at the cup, the Super Eagles finished second in their group after a worrying 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea, which saw them bounce back against the Elephants with a narrow 1-0 win and a similar scoreline against Guinea-Bissau, which earned them a place in the round of 16. During the round of 16, Nigeria beat their all-time enemies Cameroon 2-0. The Super Eagles narrowly edged a resilient Angola 1-0 in Abidjan. On the other hand, Bafana entered the AFCON as a dark horse to win the continental football showpiece and since losing their opening game to Mali, they have shifted gears and caused some upsets en route to the last four.
