ABALANDELI bebhola basezwenikazi i-Afrika, nasemhlabeni jikelele bawubheke ngabomvu umdlalo wakusasa owandulela owamanqamu e-Africa Cup of Nations. Umdlalo uzobe uphakathi kweNigeria, neNingizimu Afrika, kusukela ngo-7 ebusuku ePeace Stadium of Bouake, e-Ivory Coast.
INigeria ikhiphe i-Angola ngo 1-0 kuma-quarterfinal, iBafana yaguqisa iCape Verde ngo 2-1 sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi emdlalweni ophele zibambene ngo 0-0.
Ukuqhathwa kwala mazwe kususe umsindo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ngoba sekuneminyaka aphenduka inkukhu nempaka kwezemidlalo, kwezomculo nokunye.
Nokho, uma kuyiwa ebholeni likanobhutshuzwayo, ikakhulu kwi-Afcon, umlando uvuna iSuper Eagles ngoba ijwayele ukuzicanasela kwiBafana Bafana, kulo mqhudelwano.
Sebebhekane kathathu kwi-Afcon selokhu iBafana yaqala ukungenela lo mqhudelwano ngo-1996, iNigeria yayinqoba yomithathu imidlalo.
Empeleni kazipheli izinkulumo eziqhamuka kubalandeli beSuper Eagles, ezithi ukuba iqembu labo alihoxanga kwi-Afcon yango-1996 ngenxa yezizathu zokuphepha, iBafana Bafana yayingeke iyiphakamise indebe.
Uma iqembu lakuleli lingaphinde likhishwe yiNigeria zingaqhubeka lezo zinkulumo. Nokho iqembu likaHugo Broos, lingasibuyisa isithunzi uma lingaphendula amatafula emdlalweni wakusasa.
INigeria iqale ukuzenzela kwiBafana ngo-2000 iyixebula ngo 2-0 kowandulela owamanqamu khona eNigeria.
INingizimu Afrika yayibheke ukungena kowamanqamu ihlandla lesithathu kulandelana ngemva kokufika kulesi sigaba ngo-1996, nango-1998 kodwa uhambo lwayo lwaqedwa yiSuper Eagles kowandulela owamanqamu.
Izitobha zakuleli zahluleka zancama ukumelana noTijani Babangida owabhakuzisa inethi kungakapheli nomzuzu umdlalo uqalile, wabuye walibeka phakathi elesibili kungakayiwa nasekhefini.
IBafana kuyiphindile lokho nge-Afcon ka-2004 eTunisia, ngesikhathi ithelwa ngehlazo lika 4-0 yiSuper Eagles. Yangena kulo mdlalo wamaqoqo kuGroup D iphethe amaphuzu amathathu eyawathola ngokuguqisa iBenin ngo 2-0 , yahlangana neNigeria ngosuku olubi.
ISuper Eagles yasheshe yahamba phambili ngegoli likaJoseph Yobo, elesibili kwaba yiphenathi eyavalelwa ngu-Jay-Jay Okocha maphakathi esesibili, ngaphambi kokuthi uPeter Odemwingie ahlohle amabili eqhamuka ebhentshini.
IBafana yabambana neMorocco ngo 1-1 kowokugcina wamaqoqo, yahluleka ukudlulela kweyomkhumulajezi.
Nge-Afcon ka-2019, e-Egypt, indlela yeBafana yaqedwa yiNigeria iyehlula ngo 2-1. Lo mdlalo wama-quarter-final usaphila emiqondweni yawo womabili amaqembu ngoba womabili anabo abadlali ababeyingxenye yawo abasekhona namanje.
IBafana yangena ihambela phezulu kulandelana ukukhipha osokhaya, i-Egypt ngo 1-0 kwi-Last 16 kodwa yawashiswa ijezi yiNigeria.
ISuper Eagles yagadla kuqala ngegoli likaSamuel Chukwueze, ngomzuzu ka-27 kodwa uBongani Zungu walibuyisa elakuleli ngokulibeka phakathi ngekhanda ngoka-71.
Kwathi sekubhekwe ukuthi umdlalo ungaya kwi-extra time iNigeria, yathola igoli lokunqoba ngesikhathi uWilliam Troost-Ekong, elivalela phakathi kalula ngemva kokwehluleka kukanozinti uWilliams, ukuxhimfa ngesibhakela ibhola elaliqhamuka ekhoneni.