With Victor Osimhen now fit to play in Nigeria's huge semi-final clash against South Africa at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, here are a few more dangermen Bafana Bafana need to look out for on Wednesday evening!
Victor Osimhen
The Super Eagles confirmed on Tuesday night that Osimhen is fit and available for selection ahead of their titanic battle with South Africa. The 2023 CAF Men's African Footballer of the Year has managed to score only one goal in five matches so far at the showpiece, but his performances have made for better reading than his goal contribution statistics. The centre-forward has attempted the most shots on goals with 19 attempts, and is one of only three players who have scored for Nigeria at the tournament alongside Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong. Osimhen's two assists and one strike also mean that he has been involved in 50% of his team's goals so far. The likes of Mothobi Mvala and Grant Kekana could expect a physical encounter with the 25-year-old, who is also a dominant threat in the air.
Read: Why AFCON star refused to celebrate stunning QF strike 'revealed'
Ademola Lookman
Another Serie A star, Lookman was the hero in the round of 16 after he netted a stunning brace against Cameroon, before going on to also score the winner in Nigeria's quarter-final against Angola to give his team a 1-0 victory. He is now the highest-scoring player still active at AFCON, and will look to help the Super Eagles overcome an unwanted record of having only progressed from one of their past six semi-final appearances in the competition, according to CAF Online. The 26-year-old is also in fine club form this term as he is also Atalanta's top goalscorer (with seven strikes) this season in the league despite having not played for them in more than a month.
Calvin Bassey
It is often remarked that "goals win you matches, but defences win you titles". As such, the Bafana attack will face a huge hurdle in Calvin Bassey. The Fulham star has been defensively solid, helping his side keep four clean sheets in five games so far. According to FBRef, he has also made the most successful tackles at AFCON with 12 won. Despite a tricky run to the semis, the 24-year-old has also managed to keep things clean at the back, collecting just two yellow cards even though he has been up against heavyweights such as Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and a free-scoring Angola.
Read: Ex-Cameroon star lauds Hugo Broos As Bafana's main strength vs Nigeria
Stanley Nwabali
Perhaps an unsurprising inclusion among the dangermen is Stanley Nwabali, who has kept the joint-most clean sheets in the tournament so far, alongside his opposite number this evening, Ronwen Williams. The Chippa United stopper has been one of the competition's breakout stars with a chart-topping save percentage of 90.9%, as per FBRef. Also, he could help Nigeria make history if he keeps a clean sheet against Bafana – should they keep South Africa from scoring, it would be the first time that the Super Eagles have not conceded in five consecutive AFCON games since 1982. Moreover, Nwabali has since been linked with DStv Premiership giants Kaizer Chiefs amid his impressive displays in Africa's flagship tournament.
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