South Africa Women claimed the Africa Cup of Nations title with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria Women in the final on Wednesday, August 13th. The match ended in dramatic fashion after a penalty converted by Christy Ucheibe in the dying moments. And here's the thing — the result came after Refiloe Jane was sent off in stoppage time, leaving the hosts to see out the match with ten players.
Thembi Kgatlana opened the scoring in the 56th minute, giving South Africa the lead they would need to fight for. The goal came after a period where both teams kept knocking on each other's door. Nigeria had the edge in corners with seven compared to South Africa's two, but the hosts were more clinical in attack.
Refiloe Jane restored South Africa's advantage with a goal in the 77th minute. By then, both sides had made tactical changes — Nigeria brought on Deborah Ajibola Abiodun and Francisca Ordega for A. Oshoala in the 63rd minute. South Africa responded by bringing on A. Motau and substituting Thembi Kgatlana, who had scored, for T. Kgatlana.
The game turned ugly in the final minutes. Jane received her second yellow card at 28 minutes and was subsequently shown a red card in the 93rd minute. Ucheibe stepped up to take the penalty and scored, making it 2-1. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that the match ended with South Africa holding on grimly despite the numerical disadvantage.
South Africa dominated possession with 55 per cent and registered 94 attacks to Nigeria's 85. Six shots on target for each side, but the hosts converted two while Nigeria could only find the net once from their six attempts. The shots accuracy figures tell their own story — 50 per cent for South Africa against 35 per cent for the visitors.
The victory moves South Africa into a stronger position in the tournament standings. They finished second on three games played with four points, having suffered one defeat in their group campaign. Nigeria also completed three matches but ended with six points from two wins and one loss. The final result extends South Africa's unbeaten run and adds another chapter to the history between these two African powers.
