AFCON 2023: Super Eagles feast on Indomitable Lions in a super Saturday night clash

Posted : 28 January 2024

It was a busy day for Atlanta of Italy winger, Ademola Lookman, as he classically dismantled the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon with a majestic unreplied brace in the 36th and 90th minutes of play.

The Eagles once again showed strength against a team that has almost been their albatross, leading with a relentless reigning African Footballer of the Year. He was a thorn in the flesh of Lions turned cats, especially as he delivered a blindly catching pass to gift Lookman the first goal.

Also, Nigeria's goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabili, was rock solid until he was later stretchered off after a collision with a Cameroonian player. He was substituted for Uzoho to come and finish the game.

Nigeria would have had the early goal when Semi Ajayi pounced on a defensive blunder of the Cameroonian defenders to score in the 8th minute of play. As the Houphouet Boigny Stadium went wild in jubilations, the celebration was cut short as consultations with VAR punctured the joy. The goal was ruled offside sighting Osimhen in the box.

As Osimhen continued to ruffle the feathers of the Indomitable Lions, he later pounced on another defensive blunder from severe pressure to slot a pass to Lookman, who scored the first goal for Nigeria in the 36th minute.

Lookman, who was picked as MAN OF THE MATCH, was on course again, receiving a Calvin Bassey floated pass from the left flank to beat Cameroonian goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa to complete his brace in the 90th minute.

The Indomitable Lions win by the Super Eagles has now put them on a three straight clean sheet.

It can be recalled that the last competitive match of both countries was the Round of 16 encounter like the one under review played before a crowd of 10,000 fans at Alexandra Stadium in Egypt at AFCON 2019, where Referee Joshua Bindo of Botswana was in charge (with Odion Ighalo as the highest scorer with 5 goals). Ighalo got a brace at the 19th and 63rd minutes, with Bahoken scoring at the 41st minute and N’Jie equalizing at the 44th minute before Alex Iwobi shoved in the decider, which was his first goal at AFCON 2019. It was 2-1 then but 2-0 now.

The Super Eagles will now face Angola in the quarterfinal on Friday, 2nd February, at the Houphouet Boigny stadium at 6 pm.

AFCON 2023: Super Eagles feast on Indomitable Lions in a super Saturday night clash

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