Penalties are by no means a straight ahead factor, and in Wednesday’s semi-final vs South Africa, Tremendous Eagles’ Ola Aina might have very a lot change into the evening’s villain had his penalty miss led to a special final result for Nigeria.
Following a tense semi-final showdown towards South Africa, the Tremendous Eagles of Nigeria left-back expressed gratitude to his teammates for rallying round him after his penalty miss.
The Tremendous Eagles secured their spot within the AFCON 2023 remaining after an exhilarating penalty shootout victory over their South African counterparts.
In a match characterised by defensive prowess from each side, it got here as no shock that regulation and additional time ended with a 1-1 impasse, necessitating the decisive penalty shootout.
With each nations boasting sturdy defensive data all through the event, the stage was set for a dramatic conclusion.
Finally, it was the heroics of Tremendous Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwanbali that proved pivotal, as he made two essential saves through the penalty shootout.