Nigeria’s Super Eagles easily swatted aside perennial rivals Cameroon 2-0 in an African Nations Cup round of 16 match in Abidjan.
Early pressure from Nigeria, with multiple balls in the box from long throws and corner kicks brought a goal under 10 minutes from Semi Ajayi off a corner.
However VAR came in and rightly ruled it out for offside.
A battling Victor Osimhen continued putting pressure by pressing the Cameroon defence hard and it paid off in the 35th minute when he nicked the ball off a Cameroon defender before laying a pass to Ademola Lookman who managed to squeeze it past Cameroon keeper Ondoa for the game’s opening goal.
The Eagles held on to their lead with less possession but more of the chances as the Cameroonians couldn’t manage a shot on target in the first half.
It was same of the same in the second half with the Eagles holding their physical opponents at bay for the most part.
There were worrying signs for Nigeria when goalkeeper Stanley Nwaballi had to be stretchered off in the 77th minute due to a collision with a Cameroonian forward, to be replaced by the man he displaced ahead of the competition, Francis Uzoho.
Cameroon brought in Vincent Abubakar at the same time.
Uzoho’s first action was to hoof an inaccurate goal kick into the air that did nothing to instill confidence.
However, there was no cause for worry as Uzoho, just like Nwaballi before him, didn’t have to save a shot.
Then Lookman came to the fore again, this time dispatching a shot from close range after a brilliantly-worked free kick from the left flank in the 90th minute.
And despite 10 minutes of added time, the Eagles managed the game well to coast into the quarter finals with a third straight win without conceding a goal.
They will play Angola who earlier thrashed Namibia 3-0.
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