Nigeria’s 3rd Place ‘Curse’ at AFCON: Will It Strike Again With Osimhen Injury Scare Ahead of Semi?

• Nigeria advanced to the semis of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after their win over Angola
• Victor Osimhen is doubtful to play against South Africa after he suffered an abdominal injury
• The Super Eagles have fallen short of the Africa Cup of Nations final several times before

Here we go again.

Some Nigerian fans are fearing that they will fall short of the AFCON final again after Victor Osimhen picked up an abdominal injury just days before the semis clash with South Africa.

Sports Brief looks at the Super Eagles' third-place finishes in the Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare for another semi-final.

Nigeria's 3rd-place finishes at AFCON

1976

Instead of a knockout format, a final group stage was used to determine the champion in the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.

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The Super Eagles claimed third place in the Final Round, finishing behind Morocco and Guinea.

1978

A knockout format was used again for the latter stages of the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria advanced to the semi-finals after finishing second in Group A behind Ghana.

They failed to secure their first final appearance, however, losing 2-1 to Uganda in the semis. The Super Eagles made amends in the Third Place match, beating Tunisia in a controversial fashion.

Tunisia walked out of the match in the 42nd minute with the score tied at 1-1 to protest the officiating. Nigeria were handed a 2-0 victory as a result, with Tunisia receiving a two-year suspension because of the incident.

1992

Nigeria fell short in their bid to win a second AFCON title in 1992, losing 2-1 to Ghana in the semi-finals. The Super Eagles bounced back in the Third Place match, beating Cameroon 2-1 to claim the bronze medal.

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Rashidi Yekini starred for Nigeria in that contest, scoring the match-winner in the 88th minute.

2002

Nigeria headed into the semi-finals of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in excellent form. They went unbeaten in the group stage, recording wins against Algeria and Liberia before beating Ghana 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

Their hopes of winning the title were dashed out, however, in the semis, with the Super Eagles losing 2-1 to Senegal.

Salif Diao broke Nigerian fans' hearts, scoring the match-winner for the Teranga Lions in extra-time.

Nigeria bounced back from that disappointment, though, beating Mali 1-0 in the Third Place match to claim the bronze medal.

2004

Nigeria reached the semi-final round of the Africa Cup of Nations for the third straight time in 2004 after beating Cameroon 2-1 in the quarters.

Just like in 2002, their title hopes vanished in the semis, with the Super Eagles losing in a penalty shootout to Tunisia.

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Nigeria made sure they left Tunisia with a bronze medal, beating Mali 2-1 in the Third Place match. Jay-Jay Okocha and Osaze Odemwingie scored the goals for the Super Eagles in that contest.

2006

The Super Eagles advanced to the semi-final round of the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth consecutive time in 2006 after beating Tunisia in a penalty shootout in the quarters.

Just like in 2004, their championship dreams ended in the semis, with Nigeria losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast.

The Super Eagles managed to take home the bronze medal, though, beating Senegal 1-0 in the Third Place match. Garba Lawal handed Nigeria the victory with a goal in the 79th minute.

2010

Nigeria fell short in their bid to win a third AFCON title in 2010, losing 1-0 to Ghana in the semi-finals. The Super Eagles made amends in the Third Place match, beating Algeria 1-0 to claim the bronze medal.

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Victor Osinna starred for Nigeria in that contest, scoring the match-winner in the 56th minute, per Eurosport.

2019

Nigeria failed to win their fourth AFCON title in 2019, losing 2-1 to Algeria in the semi-finals. Riyad Mahrez broke Nigerian fans' hearts, scoring the match-winner deep in the second-half injury time.

The Super Eagles love playing in Third Place matches, as they once again claimed the bronze medal. They defeated Tunisia 1-0, with Odion Ighalo scoring the game's lone goal in the third minute, per ESPN.

Osimhen's possible replacements

Sports Brief recently reported on players who could replace Victor Osimhen in the starting lineup against South Africa.

It's no simple task for Nigeria coach, Jose Peseiro, to find a replacement for Osimhen in the lineup.

Osimhen has been crucial for the Super Eagles in this tournament, contributing to four out of their six goals in the current AFCON.