The Super Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for 2023 AFCON quarterfinals following an emphatic 2-0 win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
Atalanta winger Ademola winger scored in both halves as the Eagles easily glide pass the Lions to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Angola.
Head-to-head
Cameroon went into the game on the back of a less-than-stellar run in the group stages of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions needed a last-gasp goal by Christian Wooh against Gambia to book their slot in the next round of the tournament.
Conversely, the Super Eagles enjoyed a brilliant run in the group stages with a statement victory over the tournament hosts Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, and a draw against Equatorial Guinea.
The two teams met at the back of contrasting fortunes with the Super Eagles tipped to overrun the Lions at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
Away from the immediate stats posed by the two teams in the tournament, the rollercoaster clash has been the biggest football rivalry in Africa. Symbolically, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon paved the way for the emergence of the feisty rivalry between the two footballing powerhouses in Africa when they defeated the Super Eagles at the same venue in 1984.
Now, four decades later, the Super Eagles had the chance to avenge the loss in another crucial phase in the continental showpiece.
It was indeed of tale of bragging rights, regional rivalry, and revenge as the two countries renewed hostilities at the same venue the rivalry began.
Sharing three AFCON titles, it has been three wins apiece as well in their six AFCON meetings, hence the stage was set for the tie to be broken.
Match Report
It was a game of few chances as the two sides cross swords again. Cameroon wielded control of the game from the start but struggled with limited touches in Nigeria's half.
Despite settling for low blocks and dropping five men back at the defense, the Super Eagles were far more deadly going forward. A few minutes into the first half, the AFCON title hopefuls raced into the lead but the goal was ruled out as offside.
Six minutes after the half-hour, Ademola Lookman fired the Super Eagles into the lead. Cameroon did little to mount a response. Despite making promising advances into Nigeria's final third, they could not break the deadlock. They recorded no shot on target with Nigeria heading into the break with the lead.
There were limited chances in the second half. Cameroon's deadlock in Nigeria's box continued despite a more impressive performance in the second 45.
Meanwhile, Nigeria maintained a far superior attacking strength when charging forward with Victor Osimhen frequently terrorizing the opponents' defense.
The Super Eagles were still leading but the Indomitable Lions were pushing hard for an equaliser late in the game. In the 90th minute, Cameroon's faint hopes of a comeback was finally dashed when Ademola Lookman scored again to bag his brace and seal the win.
The match ended with Nigeria grabbing a deserved 2-0 win over the Indomitable Lions to book an AFCON quarterfinal showdown with Angola, who thrashed Nambia 3-0 in the first fixture.
Atalanta winger Ademola winger scored in both halves as the Eagles easily glide pass the Lions to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Angola.
Head-to-head
Cameroon went into the game on the back of a less-than-stellar run in the group stages of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions needed a last-gasp goal by Christian Wooh against Gambia to book their slot in the next round of the tournament.
Conversely, the Super Eagles enjoyed a brilliant run in the group stages with a statement victory over the tournament hosts Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, and a draw against Equatorial Guinea.
The two teams met at the back of contrasting fortunes with the Super Eagles tipped to overrun the Lions at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
Away from the immediate stats posed by the two teams in the tournament, the rollercoaster clash has been the biggest football rivalry in Africa. Symbolically, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon paved the way for the emergence of the feisty rivalry between the two footballing powerhouses in Africa when they defeated the Super Eagles at the same venue in 1984.
Now, four decades later, the Super Eagles had the chance to avenge the loss in another crucial phase in the continental showpiece.
It was indeed of tale of bragging rights, regional rivalry, and revenge as the two countries renewed hostilities at the same venue the rivalry began.
Sharing three AFCON titles, it has been three wins apiece as well in their six AFCON meetings, hence the stage was set for the tie to be broken.
Match Report
It was a game of few chances as the two sides cross swords again. Cameroon wielded control of the game from the start but struggled with limited touches in Nigeria's half.
Despite settling for low blocks and dropping five men back at the defense, the Super Eagles were far more deadly going forward. A few minutes into the first half, the AFCON title hopefuls raced into the lead but the goal was ruled out as offside.
Six minutes after the half-hour, Ademola Lookman fired the Super Eagles into the lead. Cameroon did little to mount a response. Despite making promising advances into Nigeria's final third, they could not break the deadlock. They recorded no shot on target with Nigeria heading into the break with the lead.
There were limited chances in the second half. Cameroon's deadlock in Nigeria's box continued despite a more impressive performance in the second 45.
Meanwhile, Nigeria maintained a far superior attacking strength when charging forward with Victor Osimhen frequently terrorizing the opponents' defense.
The Super Eagles were still leading but the Indomitable Lions were pushing hard for an equaliser late in the game. In the 90th minute, Cameroon's faint hopes of a comeback was finally dashed when Ademola Lookman scored again to bag his brace and seal the win.
The match ended with Nigeria grabbing a deserved 2-0 win over the Indomitable Lions to book an AFCON quarterfinal showdown with Angola, who thrashed Nambia 3-0 in the first fixture.