* Indomitable Lions’ first three AFCON titles were all secured by defeating the Super Eagles in the final
* Roger Milla’s Cameroon came from behind to beat Nigeria 3-1 in the 1984 final
* And a side coached by Claude Le Roy then came out on top when the teams met again in Morocco 1988
AFP Sport & Supersport
There can be few more evocative fixtures at an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) than a meeting between Nigeria and Cameroon, and tomorrow’s last-16 encounter in Côte d’Ivoire will surely bring back plenty of memories for Indomitable Lions coach Rigobert Song in particular.
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Cameroon’s tally of five AFCON titles is bettered only by Egypt’s seven, and their first three victories at the tournament were all secured by defeating the Super Eagles in the final.
Roger Milla’s Cameroon came from behind to beat Nigeria 3-1 in the 1984 final, and a side coached by Claude Le Roy then came out on top when the teams met again in 1988 in Casablanca.
Most recently, and most infamously, they clashed in the 2000 showpiece in Lagos, a match that went to penalties after ending 2-2 at the end of extra time, with a young Samuel Eto’o among Cameroon’s scorers.
Song, the Cameroon captain, converted the decisive penalty in a shoot-out that Nigerians will always remember for Victor Ikpeba’s kick that appeared to cross the line after hitting the underside of the bar, but was not given by the referee.
“I have not set foot in Lagos since then, and I don’t really have any intention of doing so,” Patrick M’Boma, who scored for Cameroon in normal time in that game and in the shoot-out, told Jeune Afrique magazine recently as he recalled that day.
Now aged 47 and on the bench, Song leads his country into the latest meeting with their neighbours at Abidjan’s Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny, which was the venue for the 1984 final between the teams.
While Nigeria eased through the group phase unbeaten with seven points and just one goal conceded, Cameroon lost to Senegal and only made it this far thanks to a remarkable 3-2 victory over Gambia in Bouake, after they had been 2-1 down with five minutes left.
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Song, though, is no stranger to dramatic comebacks, whether on the pitch or off. He was just 40 when he suffered a stroke in October 2016 and went into a coma, before making a full recovery.
“I have already been declared dead and yet here I am, still alive,” he said earlier this week as he prepared for Cameroon’s vital final group game.
While their last-16 opponents are led by the African Player of the Year in Victor Osimhen, Song’s Cameroon side lacks obvious star names — the most recognisable being Andre Onana, but the goalkeeper who is enduring a difficult season at club level with Manchester United was dropped by Song for the decisive match against Gambia.
Most of the attention around the Indomitable Lions focuses on Song himself, at least when it is not on Eto’o, now his boss as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation.
Song was under pressure after his team’s poor start at this AFCON, but he insisted that was not a concern: “I don’t panic, I don’t get stressed. I listen to and understand the criticism, I know what I have to do and I stay calm.
“I have lived with pressure since I was young. It is part of the game,” said the former Liverpool, West Ham United, Lens and Galatasaray player.
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Song was appointed coach after Cameroon lost in the semifinals as hosts of the last AFCON in 2022 and oversaw a famous win against Brazil at the World Cup later that year — the first-ever victory for an African team against Brazil at a FIFA World Cup.
Now the hero of that 2000 final must mastermind another victory over Nigeria, who notably came out on top the last time the sides clashed at the AFCON, winning 3-2 at the same last-16 stage in 2019.
Whoever emerges victorious will advance to a quarterfinal against either Angola or Namibia.
A shock-riddled Côte d’Ivoire 2023 has reached its crescendo with four ties between winners of the competition highlighting a four-day schedule that kicks off tomorrow.
The clashes of champions pit Nigeria against Cameroon, Egypt against Democratic Republic of the Congo, title-holders Senegal against Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco against South Africa.
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None of the other four matches feature a former winner, but 2015 semifinalists Equatorial Guinea will attract attention after topping a group including more fancied Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
Saturday
Angola v Namibia
This clash of Confederation of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) members was totally unexpected given Angola had not gone beyond the group stage since being 2010 hosts and Namibia had been winless in three earlier appearances.
Angola overshadowed Algeria and Burkina Faso to top Group D with Gelson Dala scoring twice while Namibia stunned Tunisia, were crushed by South Africa, then exceeded expectations to hold Mali.
Nigeria v Cameroon
When it comes to finals in the AFCON, Cameroon have won all three against Nigeria, who got the better of the Indomitable Lions in three other meetings.
A Victor Osimhen-led Nigerian attack have found goals hard to come by with just three in three matches, including a penalty and an own goal, but the Cameroon defence is far from impregnable.
Sunday
Equatorial Guinea v Guinea
Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue, the leading tournament scorer with five goals, told his team “not to get carried away” after topping Group A through a shock 4-0 win over Côte d’Ivoire.
Guinea is a team who regularly reach the knockout phase, then make little impact. They will hope fit-again Serhou Guirassy can recapture his Bundesliga scoring form.
Egypt v Democratic Republic of the Congo
It would have been hard to imagine before the tournament began that record seven-time champions Egypt would qualify without winning a match, but they drew all three in Group B.
The absence of injured talisman Mohamed Salah is a massive blow against a workmanlike Congolese side, led by impressive centre-back Chancel Mbemba, that also progressed after three draws.
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Monday
Cape Verde v Mauritania
This is another tie that no neutral observer would have foreseen before Mauritania, after two unlucky losses, stunned two-time champions Algeria to finish third and squeeze through.
They need to avoid conceding free kicks in their half as Cape Verdean Bebe scored from a 40-metre set-piece against Mozambique. Holding Egypt suggests they will not be pushovers.
Senegal v Côte d’Ivoire
While one of the favourites, Senegal have lost both previous Cup of Nations matches against Ivory Coast and must bury a jinx which has seen the last six holders fail to retain the trophy.
Côte d’Ivoire fired coach Jean-Louis Gasset after being humiliated by Equatorial Guinea and caretaker Emerse Fae knows only a drastic improvement when attacking will offer any hope.
Tuesday
Mali v Burkina Faso
A clash of former runners-up with Malian Lassine Sinayoko and Burkinabe Bertrand Traore among eight players who have scored twice so far in Côte d’Ivoire.
Both sides are physically powerful, with Mali exploiting that factor in a group victory over South Africa, and they have been more impressive than rivals who surprisingly fell to Angola.
Morocco v South Africa
While Morocco will be favourites, they have won only one of five meetings with South Africa, who rank among the most unpredictable teams in this tournament.
Outmuscled by Mali, they thrashed giantkillers Namibia, then fought a dour goalless draw with Tunisia. Morocco has several potential match-winners while South Africa rely on Themba Zwane.
Previous results
Angola v Namibia—1998: Angola 3 Namibia 3 (Group C)
Nigeria v Cameroon—1984: Cameroon 3 Nigeria 1 (final); 1988: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 0 (final); 1992: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 1 (3rd place); 2000: Cameroon 2 Nigeria 2, Cameroon won penalty shootout (final); 2004: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 1 (quarterfinal); 2019 Nigeria 3 Cameroon 2 (round of 16)
Egypt v Democratic Republic of the Congo—1970: Egypt 1 DR Congo 0 (Group B); 1974: DR Congo 3 Egypt 2 (semifinal); 2006: Egypt 4 DR Congo 1 (quarterfinal); 2019: Egypt 2 DR Congo 0 (Group A)
Senegal v Côte d’Ivoire—1965: I. Coast 1 Senegal 0 (3rd place); 1986:Côte d’Ivoire 1 Senegal 0 (Group A)
Mali v Burkina Faso—2004: Mali 3 B. Faso 1 (Group B)
Morocco v South Africa—1998: South Africa 2 Morocco 1 (quarterfinal); 2002: South Africa 3 Morocco 1 (Group B); 2004: South Africa 1 Morocco 1 (Group D); 2013: South Africa 2 Morocco 2 (Group A); 2019: Morocco 1 South Africa 0 (Group D)
First meetings: Equatorial Guinea v Guinea, Cape Verde v Mauritania—Stats by CAFonline
