After picking up seven of a possible nine points during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stages, the Super Eagles of Nigeria progressed to the round of 16 with not too convincing results. This is now Nigeria’s 15th straight qualification to the knockout phase in AFCON tournaments they’ve featured at, and they’ll hope to go much further than just the last-16.
The Super Eagles have picked up a medal in 12 of those 14 previous round of 16 qualifications, half of those medals were the third place bronze. However, Nigeria have won the title on three occasions.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will lock horns with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in one of the Round of 16 matches of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast today. It will be a repeat of 2019 Round of 16 in Egypt, with Nigeria running out 3-2 victors.
Also third placed finishers in their own 2021 edition, Cameroon are looking to navigate into the quarter-finals for the tenth time across their last 12 AFCON appearances. Despite that respectable record, Cameroon’s traversal of the group stages was anything but graceful. Without a win in their first two matches, it took late two goals to seal a 3-2 win over Gambia in their last group game to send them into the knockouts.
Players to watch: Although Nigeria have scored in all three games at this AFCON, Victor Osimhen (G1) is the only man to score from open play for the Eagles so far, with the others coming from an own goal and a penalty.
As for Cameroon, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou assisted twice in their final group game against Gambia.
The game will go down at 9:00pm Nigerian time tonight at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
