Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong tok say to lift di Africa Cup of Nations trophy go be an “amazing” moment for him and di kontri.
Di Super Eagles beat South Africa on penalties to reach di final wey go happun on Sunday for Abidjan, wia dem go face tournament hosts Ivory Coast by 8pm.
Dis na Nigeria first final since 2013, wen di West African team win dia third continental title.
“You dream about moments like dis,” centre-back Troost-Ekong tell BBC Sport Africa.
“I don see am so many times. And I don close my eyes. To actually dey dia on Sunday and get di chance to do am go dey amazing.”
Nigeria bin no dey among di leading contenders for di trophy bifor di finals, sake of dia performance for di opening of di 2026 World Cup qualifiers wey no too good .
Anoda reason na dia position as di sixth-best team for Africa according to Fifa world rankings.
However, di Super Eagles na one of di top-rank side for di tournament since di end of di last 16, wia holders Senegal, Morocco and record seven-time champions Egypt don comot.
Nigeria manager Jose Peseiro say im bin get faith for im side since, and dem bi di top scorers for di qualifying round s dem score 22 goals.
“Wen I sign di contract, I say I want to win di Afcon,” di Portuguese tell BBC Sport Africa.
“Anyhow e be, I no know if evribody believe or not. I don believe since di first moment.
“We neva win anytin until now – we wan win di Afcon.”
Bassey praise Nigeria character afta ‘crazy’ finish
Nigeria bin look like say dem go close out victory against South Africa inside 90 minutes on Wednesday, wen Troost-Ekong score di penalty wey put dem ahead for di 67th minute.
Victor Osimhen bin tink say im don make am 2-0 wit five minutes to go – but inside one major twist Bafana Bafana get penalty for foul wey lead to di build-up to di goal.
Referee award di penalty afta di Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, wey allow Teboho Mokoena to equalise.
“Na good VAR becos na penalty against us,” Peseiro agree.
“But for us, for our minds, e bin no good becos we bin dey win 2-0 and den we go back to draw 1-1.”
Khuliso Mudau almost win am for South Africa for di second-half added time before di 30 minutes of extra time wey carry plenti tension, and Nigeria win 4-2 on penalties wen di match end.
“Dis match na hard one. I tink we show real character,” defender Calvin Bassey tell BBC Sport Africa.
“E just show say we fit do di dirty work. We just get to keep believing in oursefs.
“[South Africa team bin dey] well-organised, a quality team. To outdo dem on penalties, dey crazy.
“Kudos to all di boys wey stand up to take di penalty. E no easy to go out dia wit di pressure and dem just dey calm.”
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali wey be di hero for di shootout for di Super Eagles, wey save Mokoena and Evidence Makgopa penalties before Kelechi Iheanacho score im kick to clinch victory.
“To see mysef win di man of di match (award) and also going to di final na a dream come true to me,” Nwabali, wey dey play for im club football for South Africa, tok.
“Credit to my coaches, because wen time for penalty reach, dem dey guide me well-well.”
South Africa ‘no dey get support’ back home
Afta di defeat on penalties, South Africa just dey reflect on di opportunity wey dem miss to add dia only continental win on home soil since 1996.
Bafana Bafana become runners-up two years later and dem finish third for 2000, but dia meeting wit Nigeria on Wednesday na dia first appearance for di semi-finals in 24 years.
“We don fight from di start of di tournament,” defender Aubrey Modiba told BBC Sport Africa.
“We managed to equalise and carry di match enta extra time, even though towards di end we for take our chances wey we create.
“Even though we dey disappointed small, penalties na lottery. No be our day and we no go fit regret am.
“Hopefully we go learn from dis tournament and kontinu to qualify for dis tournaments.
Di experience, di exposure, di way dem dey do evritin hia dey good and na good tin for South African football.”
Modiba dey play for Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns, di winners of di inaugural African Football League and na club wey don provide di core of di South Africa squad.
Di 28-year-old dey hope say di performance of Bafana Bafana for Ivory Coast, wey include dia win over Morocco for di Round of 16 go boost di belief of wetin di squad fit do back home.
“Pipo wey dey outside of South Africa believe in us sake of say dem bin don dey watch our games, but back home we no dey get di same support – and na sometin wey don master us now,” im tok.
“Na why we push and we fight, because we know say (di South African public) no really believe in us.
“But we get ourselves and pipo go notice evriwia around di world because dem watch di games. I still believe in dis team and I think sometin good go come out of dis team.”
South Africa will face DR Congo for di third-place play-off on Saturday, wey go also happun for in Abidjan by 8pm.
- Nigeria enta Afcon final afta epic semi-final match wit South Africa
- Nigeria vs South Africa rivalry don pass ‘be kiaful’? – Wetin dey happun
- Ivory Coast beat DR Congo to set up revenge final wit Nigeria
