AFCON Semi Finals: How South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and DR Congo Fared in This Stage Before

• Nigeria joined Egypt with the most semi-final appearances in AFCON with 16
• Ivory Coast are ranked fourth on the list with 10 semi-final appearances
• DR Congo and South Africa have six and four semi-final appearances, respectively

The semi-final round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is finally here.

Ivory Coast, South Africa, Nigeria, and DR Congo would want nothing more than to secure a spot in the final this coming Sunday.

Sports Brief looks at how they have fared in this stage of the tournament before.

Nigeria (16 semi-final appearances)

The Super Eagles will make history later today, joining Egypt at the top of the list of countries with the most appearances in the semi-final round of the tournament, per CAF.

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Nigeria's showdown against South Africa will be the 16th time they will play in the last four in 20 appearances.

They have won seven knockout matches in the AFCON semis before, reaching the final in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2000, and 2013.

The Super Eagles have won three AFCON titles, lifting the trophy in 1980, 1994, and 2013.

Ivory Coast (10 semi-final appearances)

Les Elephants reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the 10th time following their dramatic victory over Mali.

They are now tied for fourth with Cameroon for most AFCON semis appearances.

They have advanced to the final four times before, reaching the championship match in 1992, 2006, 2012, and 2015.

Ivory Coast won it all in 1992 and 2015, beating Ghana in the final on both occasions, per CNN.

DR Congo (6 semi-final appearances)

Les Leopards reached the AFCON semis for the sixth time in their history following a 3-1 win over Guinea in the quarter-finals.

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They have booked a spot in the championship match twice before, reaching the final in 1968 and 1974. They won the title on both occasions.

South Africa (4 semi-final appearances)

Bafana Bafana advanced to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time following their nerve-wracking win over Cape Verde in a penalty shootout.

They have won two knockout matches in the AFCON semis before, reaching the final in 1996 and 1998.

South Africa won their lone title back in 1996, beating Tunisia 2-0 in the final, per FIFA.com.

Osimhen cleared to play in semis

Sports Brief recently reported on Victor Osimhen being cleared to play in the match against South Africa.

He failed to join his teammates on the trip to Bouake on Monday due to an abdominal injury.

Nigeria eased their fans' concerns, declaring their star striker fit to play in the semis.