Nigeria’s Super Eagles have emerged as the highest-ranked team remaining in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations following an upset by South Africa on Tuesday night.
Bafana Bafana pulled off a stunning 2-0 victory over pre-tournament favourites Morocco. This result, coupled with the earlier exits of giants like Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia, means that the Super Eagles become the highest-ranked team among the remaining eight.
Prior to the tournament, Nigeria held the sixth-place position. Now, under the leadership of coach Jose Peseiro, they find themselves ahead of contenders like Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, South Africa, Congo DR, Cape Verde, Guinea, and Angola.
Morocco’s defeat was particularly unexpected, given their impressive run at the World Cup last year, where they reached the semi-finals. However, goals from Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena in the second half ensured victory for the South Africans.