Nigeria vs Cameroon: Nigeria win to reach AFCON quarters

• Nigeria have reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 AFCON tournament after beating Cameroon 2-0
• The Super Eagles will face Angola, who had earlier secured a 3-0 victory over Namibia

The Nigeria vs Cameroon round of 16 AFCON fixture played on Saturday evening ended in a 2-0 victory for Nigeria. Ademola Lookman scored the two goals to fire Super Eagles into AFCON quarter-finals. The Atalanta forward netted in each half in a game that was dominated by Nigeria as Cameroon struggled to impress despite being boosted by the return of skipper Vincent Aboubakar.

The opener came towards the end of the first half after Victor Osimhen forced Oumar Gonzalez into making an error in a dangerous place and then finding Lookman who made no mistake in front of goal. The Atalanta forward sealed the win in the 90th minute by volleying Calvin Bassey’s cutback.

Nigeria vs Cameroon. Photo/ BBC.

Lookman’s second goal sparked huge celebration at the stadium as Nigeria got a step closer to playing in the finals. The Super Eagles will now face Angola, who had earlier beat Namibia 3-0.

Nigeria Vs Cameroon

Nigeria vs Cameroon was one of the most talked about matches at this AFCON tournament. The two are undoubtedly among Africa’s biggest footballing nations, with eight AFCON titles and two Olympic gold medals shared between them.

So when Cameroon secured a narrow 3-2 victory over The Gambia to qualify for the round of 16, one of Africa’s greatest football rivalries was confirmed. Saturday’s Nigeria vs Cameroon fixture at the Felix-Houphouet-Boigny Stadium was a repeat of the 1984 AFCON final held in the same venue.

While Cameroon managed to secure a memorable 3-1 win over Nigeria, things went the other way round on Saturday. The Indomitable Lions looked disjointed early in the game, with Nigeria showing signs of walking away with victory.

The Super Eagles thought that they had taken the lead after nine minutes of play but Semi Ajayi’s goal was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check. Cameroon survived that one but found themselves in trouble in the 36th minute when Victor Osimhen outmuscled Oumar Gonzalez to find Lookman who squeezed through goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa.

Cameroon’s number one goalkeeper Andre Onana was on the bench, with Rigobert Song preferring Ondoa over him. The television cameras often turned to Onana, after his cousin Ondoa made a mistake.

Meanwhile, Nigeria, who were inspired by Napoli striker Osimhen continued to create chances after the restart. The Super Eagles came close to taking a two-goal lead but Lookman’s whipped free-kick from 20 yards just couldn’t get on target.

Nigeria’s momentum was slowed down by an injury to goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili in the 75th minute. With time running out and Cameroon failing to record even a single shot on target, Rigobert Song’s solo tactical change was to introduce Aboubakar in the 78th minute.

However, not even the Golden Boot winner of the 2021 AFCON could save the Indomitable Lions during the Nigeria vs Cameroon clash. Lookman sealed the win for the Super Eagles in stoppage time with a neat finish after being found by Calvin Bassey’s cross to the box.

Despite Lookman grabbing a brace in the match, it was Osimhen who was named Player of the Match. The 25-year-old made things difficult for Cameroon’s defence as he was everywhere.

Ademola Lookman celebrates with teammate Victor Osimhen after scoring against Cameroon on Saturday evening at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium. Photo/ DAILY POST.

While Nigeria have every reason to celebrate after reaching the quarter-finals, it is a campaign to forget for Cameroon, who have crashed out without a fight. Their performance at this year’s AFCON was wanting, having suffered a 3-1 loss to Senegal in the Group Stages and only advanced to the knockout stage after a comeback victory over The Gambia.

Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song will face some serious pressure back home due to the poor performance of the Indomitable Lions. His former teammate and Cameroon football federation president Samuel Eto’o will soon decide whether to dismiss or retain him.