The Nigerian National team only needed a win over South Africa to seal a place in the African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
The South Africans entered the game with the hope of ending a jinx which has affected them each time they played against the reigning Nations Cup champions.
Ephraim Shakes Mashaba was the same man who led the rainbow nation to its first victory over Nigeria in 2004 when they both clashed in the Nelson Mandela challenge and they looked to be on a repeat of that feat ten years after.
Nigeria looked fired up in the first half with purposeful plays in the early stages of the game, causing South Africa to retreat deeper into the defence.
Ahmed Musa had a few chances but he was denied each time by South Africa’s goalkeeper Darren keet.
Nigeria continued pushing for that early lead but South Africa remained resilient, As Nigeria got complacent, they conceded a shock goal as Tokelo Rantie skipped past a lethargic Nigerian defence to score at the 41st minute.
In the second half, Rantie again outsmarted the Nigerian defence of Omeruo –Egwuekwe ,who had never played together, and scored a second goal.
The second goal silenced the stadium leaving Coach Stephen Keshi with a lot to think about. Just when you thought it was curtains for Nigeria, substitute Sone Aluko pulled one back for the eagles.
The reigning champions grabbed a lifeline right at the end , with Aluko’s low drive into the bottom corner offering a glimmer of hope.
However, time ran out on the game and Nigeria’s hopes of defending their 2013 title went up in smoke, with speculation over Stephen Keshi’s future sure to follow.