The Indomitable Lions are set to battle with the Super Eagles for a quarter-final berth at the Africa Cup of Nations going on in Egypt
The defending champions have their work cut out against a Nigeria team who missed the last two editions of the tournament but were champions the last time they featured.
Cameroon are the slight favourites heading into the match, a testament to their impressive record as 5-time champions and an unbeaten AFCON run of games that now stand at nine matches.
However, the Super Eagles can also approach the match full confidence knowing they haven’t lost to Cameroon since 2000. Soccernet is taking a look at five reasons why the Super Eagles can be silently confident that they can tame and triumph over the Lions.
1. German Gernot edge Manager Seedorf
The Dutchman may boast of an array of trophies and individual honours in a career that spans well over a decade but he’s still trying to find his feet in the stormy waters of football management.
In contrast, Gernot Rohr is not a rookie in African football, having managed Niger Republic, Burkina Faso and other sides on the continent.
He knows the importance of this game and should bring his experience to bear to ensure his players come out on top at the end of the day.
2. Knock-out Masters
While Nigeria holds the unwanted record of being the losers on three occasions they faced their opponents at the AFCON final, Cameroon have not found it so easy squaring up against their West African brothers at other stages of the competition.
In fact, every time these sides met in the knock-out stages of the AFCON asides the final, there has always been one winner – Nigeria.
3. Winning the individual battles
Cameroon have brought along most of the players that earned them the championship crown two years, notable among the lot is Christian Bassogog.
The winger, who plies his trade in the Chinese Super League, was the Player of the Tournament in Gabon 2017. In Kenneth Omeruo, the Super Eagles have a defender who can stop him from wrecking havoc.
Troost-Ekong’s task is simple- stop Maxim Choupo-Moting. The Cameroon star is listed as a PSG player but he can’t be mentioned in the same breath as teammates Neymar or Cavani. It certainly is not mission impossible for Troost-Ekong and co.
With the opponent’s attack curtailed, the Nigerian attack should relish testing their prowess against a defence that has not been breached so far.
4. A bench with a bit more quality
A game evenly balanced is almost often settled by a bit of quality coming in from the bench. Nigeria may just edge Cameroon on that score.
Seedorf may not be as confident throwing in Astra Giurgiu’s Jacques Zoua as Gernot Rohr would be in any of Bordeaux’s Samuel Kalu, Levante’s Moses Simon or Galatasaray’s Henry Onyekuru. Any of these players are match winners in their own right.
5. Favourable recent head-to-head record
Cameroun were not at the last FIFA World Cup no thanks to Nigeria beating them 4-0 in Uyo and a 1-1 draw in Yaounde during the qualifiers. Those two victories are part of a five-match unbeaten record that the Nigerians currently. Another win would easily make that six. All fingers crossed.
Cameroun were not at the last FIFA World Cup no thanks to Nigeria beating them 4-0 in Uyo and a 1-1 draw in Yaounde during the qualifiers. Those two victories are part of a five-match unbeaten record that the Nigerians currently. Another win would easily make that six. All fingers crossed.
