… AFCON: Don’t underrate South Africa, Super Eagles charged

February 7, 2024

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation has denied possible threats on Nigerians living in or visiting the nation, while urging them to remain calm ahead of the CAF African Cup of Nations semi-finals match between Nigeria and South Africa.

The department announced this following the statement issued by the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa on Monday

The Nigerian High Commission, in an advisory on Tuesday, urged Nigerians living in South Africa to be watchful.

“Nigerian community to be watchful of their utterances, be mindful of where they choose to watch the match, especially in public places, and refrain from engaging in loud, riotous or provocative celebrations should the Super Eagles win the match,” the statement reads in parts.

The High Commission based its advisory on “potentially inflammatory online comments made by a section of South African citizens against Nigerians living in the host country,” adding that the comments were “largely influenced” by the upcoming AFCON clash on Wednesday, February 7 (today).

In its reaction, South Africa’s DIRCO said it doesn’t agree with the Nigerian High Commission, stating that the country poses “no threat to Nigerian citizens,” BBC reports Tuesday.

DIRCO further noted that the High Commission’s advisory “seems to create alarm and unnecessary tension” between citizens of both nations.

The statement reads: “We are confident that the sports-loving nation of South Africa poses no threat to Nigerian citizens, and we do not agree with the apprehension expressed by the High Commission.

“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.”

Nigeria’s Super Eagles meet the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, Ivory Coast today by 6 p.m. (Nigerian time).

Today’s match will be the fourth in the tournament’s meeting, with the Eagles winning the three previous games.

….. AFCON: Don’t underrate South Africa, Super Eagles charged

Meanwhile, the chairman of the non-governmental organization, 100 Percent Focus Nigeria, Ibrahim Muhammed, has called on the Super Eagles not to underrate the Bafana Bafana in the crucial semi-final clash at Stade Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire, this evening.

Muhammed emphasised the power of football as a unifying force for Nigerians, transcending ethnic, tribal and religious divides. 

The NGO, 100 Percent Focus Nigeria, is dedicated to mobilising Nigerians to rebuild the nation through their passion, love, support, and accountability towards the government.

The organization stands firmly behind the team and is fully committed to supporting them in any way possible.

As parts of its efforts to drum support for the Super Eagles, the organisation donated T-shirts to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who gave it to the Nigerian supporters in Cote d’Ivoire . 

“I implore the Eagles to approach this match with the mindset of a final and exert their utmost effort to secure victory and advance to the final,” Muhammed said.

 “We must not become complacent simply because we have historically outperformed South Africa despite their local league boasting superior organization, infrastructure, publicity, and public support compared to ours. We always do better than them maybe because we have players that play in leagues across the world and are technically better but we still cannot afford to underestimate them today.”

He emphasized the importance of key players like Victor Osimhen stepping up and delivering goals but also highlighted the collective responsibility of the entire team. 

“Our defence is solid, but we must avoid a penalty shootout scenario. Instead, we should aim to secure an early lead and capitalize on scoring opportunities as the South African goalkeeper is highly talented, we saw the way he stopped about four penalties against DR Congo to lead his team into the semifinal,” he added.

Muhammed expressed desire for Nigeria to unite in celebration of a victory in the semi-final, acknowledging the significance of reaching the final while also recognizing that the ultimate outcome of the tournament is secondary to the unity and pride it instil in the nation. 

– agency reports