AFCON Round of 16: 5 Times Nigeria Faced Cameroon at AFCON and How It Ended
The 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast has been ranked by many as one of the most thrilling of the 21st century.
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In the first 39 matches played in the group stage, 89 goals have been scored, with just three goalless draws recorded.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to take on the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the second game of the Round of 16.
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This is one of the greatest matches of the AFCON because of the history shared by both West African countries that share borders, cultural heritage, and even population.
The Indomitable Lions have faced off with the Super Eagles seven times at the AFCON, with both sides winning thrice and sharing the spoils of a draw once.
The most recent meeting ended as a victory for Nigeria, which sent Cameroon out of the 2019 AFCON tournament in Egypt.
Legit.ng in this article has highlighted five of the most exciting fixtures between these two African football powerhouses at the AFCON to date and how they ended.
1. The start of a famous football rivalry, AFCON final 1984
This match was the first AFCON meeting between Cameroon and Nigeria and the start of a famous rivalry.
Legendary Cameroonian striker Roger Milla and his colleagues like Joseph-Antoine Bell and Theophile Abega kicked off this footballing rivalry that lasted over 40 years.
At the time, the late Stephen Keshi led the Super Eagles of Nigeria as captain, with Mudashiru Lawal and Segun Odegbami in the squad.
In the 1984 final, Nigeria took the lead in the 10th minute courtesy of Mudashiru Lawal. But the lead didn't last long, as 20 minutes later, Cameroon grabbed an equaliser through Rene N'Deja, a central back.
Cameroon took the lead in the second half ten minutes after the restart through midfielder Abega. The win was cemented late in the game by winger Ebongue through a counterattack as Nigeria pushed for an equaliser.
This was the first time the Indomitable Lions defeated Nigeria at an international competition, and it was also their maiden Nations Cup title.
Since then, they have gone on to win four more titles.
2. Nigeria seeks revenge four years later in 1988 final
The rivalry became even more fearsome four years later as both sides would clash again in the final of the 1988 tournament.
This was the second time both teams would cross paths in the final in four years.
The 1988 game proved to be a lot tougher for Cameroon, and Nigeria even had great opportunities to score, but it ended goalless at halftime.
However, in the 55th minute, Emmanuel Kunde scored for the Indomitable Lions, and that goal Cameroon it's second AFCON trophy at the expense of Nigeria again.
3. Cameroon defeats Nigeria in the final in Lagos, AFCON 2000:
At the turn of the millennium, Nigeria played host to the first AFCON in the new century, with Ghana sharing the hosting rights.
The final was played in Lagos, and guess who made it to the final again and would take on the host nation? It was the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
It was quite a spectacle as the country's commercial nerve would play host to the country's mortal foes.
Both teams played out a 2-2 draw at the end of 120 minutes, and the game was to be decided on penalties.
At this point, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Julius Aghahowa were the darlings of Nigerian football.
Meanwhile, on the side of the Cameroonians, Samuel Eto'o Fils, Patrick Mboma, Rigobet Song, and Geremi Njitap were their fearsome warriors.
They struck fear in the hearts of many teams they came up against.
The final in Lagos went to penalties after the game ended 2-2 in extra time.
Cameroon defeated Nigeria on penalties, winning 4-3 in the shootout. Lagos was hushed following the sad loss, but brighter days were coming.
It was Cameroon's third AFCON trophy, and all three were against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
4. The battle of Tunis 2004
Cameroon were at the apex of African football, and playing against them was like a death sentence.
They had won the Nations Cup just two years before in Mali, defeating Senegal in the final.
But the Super Eagles, at this point, were ready to flip the narrative with the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, Jay Jay Okocha and Garba Lawal, the remaining members of the 2000 squad.
They were willing to exorcise the ghosts of the three previous defeats.
Cameroon took the lead in this game through star man Samuel Eto'o. But Nigeria was not ready to throw in the towel this time as Jay Jay Okocha showed his class, scoring a sumptuous free kick from outside the box 10 minutes before the end of the first half.
John Utaka, in the 63rd minute, scored the Super Eagles' second goal from a brilliant counter-attack. The goal was crafted by Nwankwo Kanu, sending John Utaka free on goal.
The goal shattered Cameroonian hearts as the defending champions at the time had to bow out of the competition in Tunisia in the quarterfinal.
5. Super Eagle re-asserts its superiority in 2019:
The most recent clash between both nations was in 2019 in a Round of 16 fixture like the upcoming game.
Nigeria opened the scoring through Odion Ighalo. Cameroon equalized minutes later and then went ahead, courtesy of Clinton N'Jie, to make it 1-2.
The second half saw a re-energized Super Eagles side who came out like a house on fire. In the 55th minute, Jude Odion Ighalo pulled the game level.
After some nice interplay, Ighalo found a running Alex Iwobi, who turned the ball into the Cameroon net and won the game 3-2 to the Super Eagles.
These are the five most memorable encounters between the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the AFCON.
Osimhen expresses fear ahead of Eagles Cameroon clash
Legit.ng recalls reporting an interview granted by Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen where he spoke about Nigeria's chances of the winning the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
Osimhen has been Nigeria's most influential player at the competition so far, scoring a goal against Equatorial Guinea and winning the penalty that us the win against Cote d'Ivoire.
During his interview with CBS Golazo, Osimhen noted that there were no underdogs at the AFCON.
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Source: Legit.ng
