CAN: Nigeria emerges victorious from the clash against Cameroon and reaches the quarter-finals

It was undoubtedly one of the big shocks of these round of 16 of this CAN. Two big monsters of African football. Nigeria (3 titles) faced Cameroon (5 titles). At the end of a very technically weak match and without much rhythm, it was the Super Eagles who won 2-0 thanks to a double from Ademola Lookman. They will face Angola in the quarter-finals, easy winner of Namibia (3-0).

And it was long. Despite the heat in Abidjan hovering around 30 degrees, there were not many sparks on the pitch at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny stadium. It could have been different if the goal for Nigeria at the start of the match had been legal. But Semi Ajayi was indeed in an offside position when he regained the ball after a mix-up (9th). Subsequently, the sphere was not very often on the pitch, the players preferring to send it into the Ivorian sky. Clearances and long through balls were legion from both teams. However, the Super Eagles remained sharper with a slightly higher intensity than their opponents in the evening. On a Cameroonian throw-in, Victor Osimhen - the only player very active in the first half - harassed his opponent, stealing the ball from his feet. The Naples striker then ideally served Ademola Lookman for the opener (37th, 1-0).

Well embroiled in this shock, Nigeria could have suffered from the vengeful spirit of the Cameroonians. However, it was the Super Eagles who took control of operations after returning from the locker room. Often lonely on the attacking front, Victor Osimhen managed to cause huge problems for the Lions defense with his calls and sharp pressing. During the last 20 minutes, Rigobert Song's men tried to timidly return to the match. But as if the pace was not already jerky enough, a huge clash between Georges Kévin N'koudou and Stanley Nwabali, the Nigerian goalkeeper, interrupted the game for several minutes. The goalkeeper even came out on a stretcher (78th). The Cameroonian people had hope seeing the entry of their captain and usual starting striker, Vincent Aboubakar. But the number 10 of the Lions will not change anything. The Super Eagles even allowed themselves to worsen the score with a double from Lookman on a good cross from Calvin Bassey Ughelumba (90th, 2-0). Nigeria will therefore face Angola on February 2, at 6 p.m.