AFCON 2023 Semi Finals Set: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Among Teams Through to Final Four

• Four teams have qualified for the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• Nigeria and DR Congo made it to the last 4 after winning their games on Friday
• South Africa and Ivory Coast also advanced to the semis on Saturday

The cast is complete for the last 4 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Former champions, Ivory Coast and South Africa are among the teams who will compete in the next round.

Sports Brief looks at the countries that made it to the semi-finals of AFCON 2023.

Who are the AFCON 2023 semi-finalists?

South Africa

South Africa recorded another upset win on Saturday, beating Cape Verde in a thrilling penalty shootout to advance to the AFCON 2023 semis.

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Bafana Bafana and the Blue Sharks' battle went into penalties after the match ended in a goalless draw after extra time.

Goals were still hard to come by in the shootout, with both teams combining for seven missed penalties. Ronwen Williams starred for Bafana Bafana, saving four of the five penalties he faced.

South Africa will next face Nigeria in the semi-finals.

Ivory Coast

The miracle run of Ivory Coast continued on Saturday, with the Elephants recording another come-from-behind win to seal their place in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ivory Coast battled back from another 1-0 deficit in the knockout round, scoring two late goals in the second half to produce the 2-1 win.

Oumar Diakite sent Ivory Coast fans into a frenzy when he netted the match-winner in the 122nd minute. It was a remarkable win for the hosts, who went down to 10 men in the first half following a red card by Odilon Kossounou.

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Ivory Coast will next face DR Congo in the semi-finals.

Nigeria

The Super Eagles continued their march towards a fourth AFCON title, beating Angola 1-0 in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Ademola Lookman continued his fine form in the knockout rounds, scoring the game's lone goal in the 41st minute.

He also starred in Nigeria's 2-0 win over Cameroon in the Round of 16, scoring a brace in that matchup.

With the Super Eagles' victory over the Black Antelopes, they secured their first semi-final appearance at AFCON since 2019.

They lost 2-1 to Algeria in that matchup, with Riyad Mahrez breaking their hearts with a goal in second-half injury time, per ESPN.

They will next face the winner of the Cape Verde vs. South Africa match in the semis.

DR Congo

The Leopards booked a spot in the semi-finals with an impressive 3-1 victory over Guinea on Friday.

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DR Congo came from behind to record their first win in regulation time in this year's AFCON.

Mohamed Bayo opened the scoring for Guinea, netting a penalty in the 20th minute after he was fouled by Chancel Mbemba inside the box.

Mbemba made amends for DR Congo seven minutes later, scoring the equaliser with a strike from a narrow angle.

Yoane Wissa gave DR Congo their first taste of the lead with a penalty in the second half before Arthur Masuaku sealed the victory for the Leopards with a sensational free kick.

With their victory over Guinea, the Leopards secured their first semi-final appearance at AFCON since 2015.

They will next face the winner of the Mali vs. Ivory Coast match in the semis, per CAF.

Masuaku praised after fantastic free kick

Sports Brief recently reported on Masuaku's free kick against Guinea.

He scored arguably the best goal of the tournament to seal the win for DR Congo.

He directed his attempt towards the near post and into the back of the net, leaving the Guinea goalkeeper, who was expecting a cross, stranded.