As Nigeria’s Super Falcons gear up to face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the semifinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, attention turns once again to one of the fiercest rivalries in African women’s football.
One major question on the minds of fans: Has South Africa ever beaten Nigeria at the semifinal stage of WAFCON?
The answer is yes—but only once.
That historic moment came during the 2012 WAFCON held in Equatorial Guinea. On 7 November 2012, South Africa pulled off a stunning 1–0 victory over the defending champions at the Nkoantoma Stadium in Bata. Janine van Wyk scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute, handing Banyana Banyana their first-ever semifinal win over the Super Falcons.
It was a major upset, as Nigeria—Africa’s most dominant women’s team failed to reach the WAFCON final for the first time in over a decade. The disappointment deepened just days later when they fell 1–0 to Cameroon in the third-place match, finishing fourth overall. Gaëlle Enganamouit netted the winner for the Indomitable Lionesses on 11 November at the Estadio de Malabo.
Despite that landmark win, South Africa couldn’t go all the way. In the final, they were outclassed by host nation Equatorial Guinea, suffering a heavy 4–0 defeat and missing out on what would have been their first WAFCON title.
Notably, while South Africa managed that lone semifinal victory, they have never beaten Nigeria in a WAFCON final. The Super Falcons claimed championship wins over Banyana Banyana in both the 2000 and 2018 finals.
The latest chapter in this rivalry kicks off at 5:00 p.m. (Nigeria time) on Tuesday in Casablanca.
