BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The Round of 16 pairings of the Africa Cup of Nations have thrown up intriguing fixtures. Most of the eight matches are potentially explosive.

Nigeria are paired with their familiar opponents, Cameroon in what is potentially an explosive encounter especially if previous encounters are to be considered.

As usual, www.sportsvillagesquare.com takes an insightful look at the match and comes out with the following points of interest.

• Sports Village Square records that this is the second time both are meeting at the Afcon Round of 16 after similar pairing at the Egypt 2019 edition. But overall, it the eighth time both are meeting at the Africa Cup of Nations.

 

• The stadium where they are meeting on Saturday was the same venue when they first met at Afcon 40 years ago.
• Overall, Saturday’s match will be the 25^th  clash of both Nigeria and Cameroon. Sports Village Square can confirm that in spite of the intimidating stature of the Indomitable Lions, results have always been in Nigeria’s favour. In 24 matches, Nigeria won 13 times as against four clear victories by Cameroon. The remaining seven were drawn – including the 13 February 2000 Africa Cup final in which penalty kicks were used as tie-breaker.

 

• The match will be Nigeria’s 101^st match in Africa Cup of Nations’ history since the 6-3 loss to Egypt on 24 November 1963 in Kumasi, Ghana.

 

• The Saturday encounter marks Cameroon’s95^th match, even though the country have made two more Afcon appearances than Nigeria’s 20^th at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023

 

• Both Nigeria and Cameroon led their respective Egypt 2019 groups until their last matches. While Nigeria surrendered Group B leadership to Madagascar, Cameroonalso failed to live up to expectations and were held to a goalless draw by lower rated Benin, thus surrendering Group F leadership to rivals, Ghana. At Cote d’Ivoire 2023, both teams laboured to place second in their respective groups.

 

• The two teams have experienced goal drought. Nigeria scored a goal in each of their three matches. Cameroon had a goal in each of their first two matches before being able to record a late 3-2 win over The Gambia.

 

• Nigeria’s legendary Muda Lawal scored the last of his 11 goals for Nigeria in a match with Cameroon in the final match of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations.

 

• When Cameroon won a friendly encounter in Austria on 4 June 2021 by a single goal, a 32-year jinx was broken as Cameroon last defeated Nigeria within regulation time on 27 August 1989 in Yaounde.

 

• Erstwhile Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa made his international debut in a World Cup qualifying match with Cameroon in September 2017.

 

 

• It is 35years since Cameroon ever beat Nigeria in regulation time of a competitive match. It was a World Cup qualifying match for Italia ’90 – a tie in which Nigeria needed just a draw to advance to the last straight knockout qualifying duel.

 

• Legendary goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala last featured for Nigeria’s national team in a match with Cameroon on February 2, 1980 at the then Liberty Stadium, Ibadan. The match ended goalless.

 

• The Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan hosted its first international match when Nigeria beat Cameroon 2-0 on June 10, 1989 in a World Cup qualifying encounter.

 

• Cameroon’s first three in five titles of the Africa Cup of Nations were achieved beating Nigeria in 1984, 1988 and 2000.

 

• Cameroon has never beaten Nigeria in any other Africa Cup of Nations’ duel apart from the final match. There are three instances; in 1988, both played 1-1 in group match, in 1992 Nigeria beat Cameroon 2-1 in the classification match while also achieving the same result at the quarterfinals of the 2004 edition.At the 2019 edition, Nigeria beat Cameroon 3-2 at the Round of 16.

 

• Nigeria’s Josiah Dombraiye was the first scorer at Cameroon’s Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé when the arena was commissioned on February 13, 1972. Nigeria won 2-1, courtesy of the brace by Dombraiye.

 

• The most pronounced of Nigeria versus Cameroon encounters is the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations’ final match, which ended in penalty shootout that Nigeria controversially lost. The turning point was Victor Ikpeba’s penalty kick, which was thought not to have crossed the goal line. Several television clips showed it was a goal. Even Ikpeba’s reaction also added to the drama as he held his hands on his head in anguish after the kick. If VAR had been in existence then, the final outcome of the 2000 final could have been different.

 

• Samuel Okwaraji’s only goal for Nigeria was scored against Cameroon on March 17, 1988 in Rabat Morocco. It was also Nigeria’s joint fastest Africa Cup of Nations goal, coming in the second minute, just like that of Segun Odegbami against Algeria in 1980.

 

 

Nigeria vs. Cameroon: Head-to-Head

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD
Nigeria	24	13	7	4	36	18	+18
Cameroon	24	4	7	13	19	36	-18

 

• 26 Apr. 1960 (F-Lome) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria
• 8 Dec.1962 (Nkrumah Cup – Lagos) Nigeria 3-1 Cameroon
• 1 Jan.1963 (Nkrumah- Yaounde) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
• 20 July 1966 (F- Fanando Po) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
• 1968 (WCq- Lagos) Nigeria 1-1Cameroon
• 22 Dec.1968 (WCq – Yaounde) Cameroon 2-3 Nigeria
• 13 Feb.1972 (F- Yaounde) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
• 22 Jan. 1975 (F – Lagos) Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon
• 2 Feb. 1980 (F- Ibadan) Nigeria 0 -0 Cameroon
• 18 Mar.1984 (Afcon – Abidjan) Cameroon 3-1 Nigeria
• 17 Mar. 1988(Afcon – Rabat Cameroon 1-1Nigeria
• 27 Mar.1988 (Afcon – Casablanca) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
• 10 June1989 (WCq- Ibadan) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
• 1989 (WCq – Yaounde) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
• 25 Jan.1992 (Afcon – Dakar) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
• 1997 (LG Cup – Tunis) Cameroon 0-1 Nigeria
• 13 .Feb. 2000 (Afcon- Lagos) Nigeria 2-2 Cameroon *(3-4 pso).
• 1 June2003 (LG Cup- Lagos) Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon *aet
• 8 Feb.2004 (Afcon – Monastir) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
• 11 Oct. 2015 (F-Vise, Belgium) Cameroon 0-3 Nigeria
•  2017 (WCq – Uyo) Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon
• 4 Sep. 2017 (WCq – Yaounde) Cameroon 1-1 Nigeria
• 4 Jun. 2021 (F- Wiener Neustadt, Austria) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
• 8 June 2021 (F- Wiener Neustadt, Austria) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria