afcon 2019 nigeria vs south africa head to head scores

South Africa’s coach Stuart Baxter looks on during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

Nigeria vs South Africa: Overall head-to-head record and scores

Nigeria hold the aces in the head-to-head record against 2019 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals opponents South Africa. Here’s how they match up.

by Alexis Haden

10-07-2019 18:00

in Soccer

South Africa’s coach Stuart Baxter looks on during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

South Africa and Nigeria will square off in a quarterfinal clash at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday night at the at Cairo International Stadium.

Get live scores for 2019 Afcon – Nigeria vs South Africa – here!

Stuart Baxter and Gernot Rohr have both talked up the other’s chances. The sides are familiar foes with the Super Eagles the favourites.

Baxter dismissed the assertion from his Nigeria counterpart Gernot Rohr that Bafana Bafana are the favourites heading into Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final showdown.

Baxter’s side shocked tournament hosts Egypt in the last 16 having only scraped through the group stage, but he was quick to temper expectations against a Nigeria team that eliminated defending champions Cameroon in the last round.

“Nigeria are absolutely one of the best teams on continent and have been for a long time. One game doesn’t make us favourites. I don’t think he’s (Rohr) fooling anybody,” Baxter told reporters Tuesday.

“When we hit a balance between good organisation and getting on the ball and playing with pace and using our natural inherent technique we can give anybody a game.

“We’ll be respecting Nigeria but not fearing them. We will have to produce a very good South Africa performance to beat them.”

Nigeria vs South Africa: All previous meetings head-to-head results

Nigeria 4-0 South Africa (10 October 1992)

Just three months after their reinstatement into international football, Bafana Bafana were thrashed by the Super Eagles in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Lagos. Goals came from Richard Owubokiri, Samson Siasia and Rashidi Yekini (2).

South Africa 0-0 Nigeria (16 January 1993)

Bafana Bafana fared much better against the Super Eagles in the return fixture at Soccer City three months after the Lagos thrashing. A South Africa side coached by Augusto Palacios held Clemence Westerhof’s Nigeria to a goalless stalemate.

Nigeria 2-0 South Africa (10 February 2000)

The next time Nigeria and South Africa faced off was in Lagos during the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals. Nigeria saw off Trott Moloto’s side thanks to a Tijani Babangida brace but went on to lose the final to Cameroon on penalties.

Nigeria 4-0 South Africa (31 January 2004)

Cracks were beginning to show in South Africa’s national football team after a dream start to the post-apartheid era. The Super Eagles demolished Bafana Bafana in Monastir, Tunisia at the 2004 Afcon group stage clash. Goals came from Joseph Yobo, Jay Jay Okocha and Peter Odemwingie (2).

South Africa 2-1 Nigeria (17 November 2004)

South Africa claimed their revenge at the end of 2004 in a Johannesburg friendly with goals from Shaun Bartlett and Benedict Vilakazi giving Bafana the victory. Stephen Makinwa’s goal for Nigeria proved nothing more than consolation.

Nigeria 2-0 South Africa (1 June 2008)

We must apologise in advance for invoking memories of the dark days under Joel Santana, but Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Bafana Bafana in Abuja during FIFA World Cup qualifying was a sign that something was badly wrong. Ikechukwu Uche and Obinna Nwaneri netted for Nigeria but South Africa still played in the 2010 World Cup due to their status as hosts.

South Africa 0-1 Nigeria (6 September 2008)

A young talent by the name of Itumeleng Khune started in goal for the return World Cup qualifying fixture in Port Elizabeth. However, Bafana Bafana suffered a repeat defeat as Ikechukwu Uche added another goal to his tally.

South Africa 0-2 Nigeria (14 August 2013)

Nigeria triumphed 2-0 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium in the 2013 Nelson Mandela Challenge with Uche Nwofor bagging a brace. This put the cherry on top of the cake for a Super Eagles side which had won the Africa Cup of Nations in Mzansi earlier in the year.

South Africa 0-0 Nigeria (10 September 2014)

The tide began to turn in this rivalry during Shakes Mashaba’s time in charge of Bafana Bafana. A goalless stalemate at Cape Town Stadium during 2015 Afcon qualifying was a respectable result against the then African champions.

Nigeria 2-2 South Africa (19 November 2014)

The reverse Afcon qualifying fixture in Uyo was a humdinger with Tokelo Rantie’s brace putting South Africa two goals to the good before Sone Aluko responded with two late goals of his own.

South Africa 1-1 Nigeria (29 March 2015)

This friendly saw two late goals with Bongani Zungu cancelling out Ahmed Musa’s opener at Mbombela Stadium.

Nigeria 0-2 South Africa (10 June 2017)

Tokelo Rantie returned to Uyo to torment the Super Eagles once again under Stuart Baxter’s tutelage. His opener was supplemented by a Percy Tau goal to seal three points for Bafana during qualifying for the current Africa Cup of Nations.

South Africa 1-1 Nigeria (17 November 2018)

Lebo Mothiba’s equaliser cancelled out a Buhle Mkhwanazi own goal when these sides met in the return fixture at FNB Stadium. There was controversy, however, as Nigeria were denied two goals by the offside flag and referee Bakary Gassama reportedly later apologised for the decisions.