PICTURES: Iheanacho, Osimhen ready as Super Eagles step up training for Cameroon

Nigeria will need to be at their best to send one of the pre-tournament favourites out of the continental championship on Saturday

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are taking no chances as they prepare to take on Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Three-time winners Nigeria will face eternal rivals Cameroon inside the Félix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Saturday, January 27, for a spot in the quarterfinals of the AFCON.

With four AFCON Cups in their trophy cabinet, Cameroon are the more successful team at the continental championship than Nigeria.

Interestingly, the Indomitable Lions defeated Nigeria in the 1984, 1988, and 2000 finals to win three of their four honours.

However, despite injuries to several key players, including Wilfred Ndidi, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Victor Boniface, Nigeria boast the more talented squad at the moment, and the Super Eagles will be confident of claiming their fourth victory in eight AFCON meetings over Cameroon.

To achieve this aim, the Super Eagles have been working hard in training, perfecting the strategies that will guarantee victory on Saturday.

After overcoming the injury that kept him out of Nigeria’s first three group games, Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho joined full-team training on Thursday.

Star forward Victor Osimhen remains fit as a fiddle and will likely lead the line for the Super Eagles when they file out against the Cameroonians.

Head coach Jose Peseiro has a big decision to make about who starts on the left flank for Nigeria as Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon continue to impress in training.

With Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem, the Super Eagles have enough cover in central defence. Still, Peseiro is expected to maintain his three-man defence of Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong, and Calvin Bassey.

Nigeria have one of the best defensive records at the AFCON, conceding only one goal in three games.

Significant improvements, however, need to be made in attack, where Nigeria have scored only one goal from open play at the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.