Reigning African champions fail to qualify for tournament

South Africa Bafana Bafana have scuttled the dream of Nigeria’s Super Eagles to defend their crown at the African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea as they stunned Nigeria with 2-0 lead before the Eagles levelled the game at 2-2.

 



Bafana Bafana, who had boasted they would beat the Nigerians at home for the first time, made good their pledge when they scored the first goal towards the end of the first half in the match; played on Wednesday at the new Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo.

The South Africans also opened the second half with another goal, completely throwing the Nigerians into confusion, with Governor Godswill Akpabio watching from the State Box. The Eagles, which wasted an avalanche of chances to make hay in the opening minutes of the first half, however, pulled two goals back, the last coming in the dying minutes of the added time, despite playing a 10-man South Africans in the last 10 minutes.
 
South Africa top the group with 12 points while Congo, which beat Sudan 1-0 away in Khartoum on Wednesday, occupied the second spot in the group with 10 points.