
Credit: Therecordunn.Com
Nigeria is set to face Cameroon in the Round of 16 of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations, following a close 3-2 victory over The Gambia in a back-and-forth Group C finale in Bouake on Tuesday.
Combined, Nigeria and Cameroon, both continental powerhouses, boast a total of eight Africa Cup of Nations titles. Nigeria secured their championship titles in 1980, 1994, and 2013, while Cameroon emerged victorious in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, and 2017.
Interestingly, the historical context between the two teams reveals that Nigeria was the opponent for Cameroon’s initial three triumphs. The first of these victories occurred at the Stade Fรฉlix Houphouรซt-Boigny in Abidjan, the same venue for Saturday night’s Round of 16 clash, where the Lions secured a 3-1 win despite Nigeria taking an early lead through Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal.
In 1988, Nigeria experienced disappointment when a goal by Henry Nwosu was disallowed by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr in the first half at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca. Emmanuel Kunde’s penalty in the second half secured the win for the Lions.
In 2000, as co-hosts, Nigeria staged a memorable final, falling behind 0-2 to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Patrick Mboma.
However, Raphael Chukwu Ndukwe and Jay-Jay Okocha levelled the score, only for the Lions to clinch a 4-3 victory in a penalty shootout at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Nigeria’s triumphs over Cameroon in the quarter-finals in Tunisia in 2004, the Round of 16 in Egypt in 2019, and a 4-0 win in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Uyo in 2017 are cherished memories for Nigerians.
Notably, in Alexandria in 2019, eventual tournament top scorer Odion Ighalo played a pivotal role, scoring two goals in a 3-2 victory, with midfielder Alex Iwobi securing the win from a remarkable assist by Ighalo.
The upcoming encounter is scheduled to kick off at 8 pm Cote dโIvoire time (9 pm Nigeria time) on Saturday.
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