AFCON 2023: Nigeria's Super Eagles soar into quarters, face Angola next
Nigeria reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after Ademola Lookman scored twice to beat a disappointing Cameroun 2-0 in the last 16 in Abidjan.
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The Atalanta forward opened the scoring nine minutes before the break after Victor Osimhen forced Oumar Gonzalez into a mistake and then teed up Lookman to fire past goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, who was preferred to Andre Onana.
Former England Under-21s forward Lookman sealed the win in the 90th minute after one of the game's best moves, volleying home Calvin Bassey's cutback to spark huge celebrations among the three-time champions.
Despite introducing Vincent Aboubakar, top scorer at the 2021 tournament, late on for his first appearance after a muscle injury sustained on the eve of the finals, Cameroun failed to register a shot on target.
The Super Eagles will meet Angola, who impressed in a 3-0 win over Namibia earlier, in the last eight on Friday, also in the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.
Cameroun coach Rigobert Song will face serious pressure back home following his latest failure, having exited the 2022 World Cup at the group stage.
Cameroun football federation president Samuel Eto'o, who was watching on from the stands, will now have to decide whether to retain or dismiss his former team-mate.
Meanwhile the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Angola in the next round of the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigeria will play the Giant Sable Antelope or the Palancas Negras in the AFCON 2023 Quarterfinals by 6pm, at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, on Friday, February 2, 2024.
