ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire – In a thrilling display of football prowess, the Super Eagles of Nigeria soared into the quarterfinals of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, securing a convincing 2-0 victory over their arch-rivals Cameroon on Saturday, January 27, 2024, night.
The win marked a significant turnaround from their last edition’s disappointment and set the stage for a high-stakes encounter against Angola.
Ademola Lookman, the talismanic forward from Atalanta, emerged as the hero of the night, striking twice to dismantle the Cameroonian defense.
His first goal, a clinical finish in the 36th minute, came off a brilliant play involving Victor Osimhen and an error from Cameroon’s Oumar Gonzalez.
The second, sealing the win in the 90th minute, was a stunning volley set up by Calvin Bassey, capping off one of the game’s most remarkable moves.
Cameroon’s attempt to shift the tide by introducing their captain, Vincent Aboubakar, who had been sidelined due to a muscle injury, proved futile.
The Indomitable Lions, despite their efforts, failed to register a single shot on target, largely due to the tactical mastery of Portuguese coach Jose Pareira.
Pareira’s strategy effectively neutralised Cameroon’s attack, leaving them impotent throughout the match.
RELATED: ‘Best Team Ever’: Super Eagles Captain Troost-Ekong Shines at Africa Cup, Eyes More Success
Victor Osimhen, in his post-match interview, lauded the Super Eagles’ defensive line, comprising Calvin Bassey, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili.
“I want to give kudos to my defenders. They have been focused since the start of this competition. We also have a good goalkeeper [Nwabali]. We want to keep this momentum going,” Osimhen remarked.
Despite their stellar performance, Osimhen admitted that the Super Eagles are yet to unleash their full potential.
“I cannot lie, we haven’t played the best of our football yet. I think the whole team has this mentality of winning, we want to win,” he stated, emphasising the team’s unity and familial bond.
As the Super Eagles prepare to face Angola, who earlier beat Namibia 3-0, on Friday at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, expectations are high.
