The heavyweight clash between Nigeria and Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 ended in favour of the Super Eagles at Stade Felix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
Jose Peseiro's Super Eagles team efficiently dispatched the Indomitable Lions as Ademola Lookman scored either side of the half to give Nigeria a resounding 2-0 victory on the night.
The team put in a great shift in attack and defense to keep their third clean sheet in Ivory Coast and book a spot in the tournament's quarter-finals.
BIIIIIG W! ??
The Super Eagles crush the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to advance.
Fantastic performance. Entertaining encounter.#NGACMR | #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/bABObeh3c4
— Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) January 27, 2024
GOALBALL rates the performance of the Super Eagles players against Cameroon.
Super Eagles player ratings
Christian Nwabali – 7/10
The Chippa United goalkeeper put in another brilliant performance for the team. His decision-making, the way he cleared the ball from set pieces and how he commanded his back-line stood out.
The 27-year-old didn't make any saves as Cameroon didn't offer much in attack. He was unfortunately stretchered off in the 80th minute for an apparent injury.
Ola Aina – 7/10
The Nottingham Forest full-back played in the left wing-back position again today, and hardly put a foot wrong. He completed 63% of his passes which one could have resulted in an assist.
William Troost-Ekong – 7/10
As captain on the day, Troost-Ekong played as a leader at the back for the Super Eagles. He was concentrated in defense and completed 79% of his passes.
Semi Ajayi – 7/10
The West Bromwich Albion defender was brilliant both in defense and attack. He scored for Nigeria in the first-half but his effort was cancelled for offside. He made two big clearances and completed 81% of his passes.
Calvin Bassey – 8/10
The reliable Calvin Bassey put in another great performance in his third start for Nigeria in Ivory Coast. He performed better than his partners in defense with four tackles, one interception, one key pass, won nine of 12 ground duels and four of five aerial duels.
Zaidu Sanusi – 6/10
The FC Porto left-back struggled sometimes in the game, and he received the lowest ratings amongst the defenders. He did win some duels before he was substituted for Kenneth Omeruo in the 80th minute.
Frank Onyeka – 7/10
The Brentford man put in a decent shift in midfield, causing break-ups in the ball progression of the opponents and had a decent surge into the Cameroon defense. He played the entire minutes, putting in three tackles and losys possession just seven times.
Alex Iwobi – 7/10
The Fulham midfielder appeared to be absent in the game, but he was there doing the dirty jobs in midfield. Although he missed one big chance, he was able to complete 72% of his passes.
Moses Simon – 7/10
The Nantes winger played on the left, and was really impressive for the Eagles. He registered one shot on target, completed 88% of his passes, and won three of six ground duels. His trickery was a constant discomfort for Cameroon.
Ademola Lookman – 9/10
The Atalanta winger exploited the opposition's defense. He got on the ball a lot and was into promising positions to score twice for the team from two shots on target. He also laid two key passes for his teammates and created one big chance. His performances earned him Man of the Match award.
Victor Osimhen – 7/10
The reigning African Footballer of the Year was impressive with his hold-up play, hard work, and determination. He created one of the best chances of the game as he laid off a sweet pass for Lookman who netted the opener. Victor Osimhen continued to come up clutch for the team despite not scoring.
Super Eagles substitutes
Francis Uzoho – 6/10
Uzoho came on for Nwabali who was stretchered off. With Nigeria in control of the game, the Super Eagles number 1 didn't do much as he faced zero shots on the night.
Kenneth Omeruo – 6/10
Omeruo came on for Sanusi and was only on the field of play for 10 minutes, he did make one clearance in the game.
Bright Osayi-Samuel – 0/10
Osayi-Samuel only played for one minute as his substitution was purely to wind down the clock in 9th minute of added time.
Paul Onuachu – 0/10
Just like Osayi-Samuel, Onuachu was thrown to eat up time as Nigeria was already home and dry in the 9th minute of added time.
Super Eagles next action
Nigeria will face Angola in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. The clash will take place on February 2nd. With a place in the semi-finals at stake, both teams will give their all on the field of play.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
