Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-01-27 09:54:03
The first fixture of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 will see Nigeria taking on Cameroon at Abidjan’s Felicia stadium on Saturday, January 27. This highly anticipated clash has generated significant excitement among fans and observers.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Friday, Jose Peseiro, coach of the Super Eagles, expressed Nigeria’s aim to secure a victory in the upcoming match. On the other hand, Cameroon’s coach, Rigobert Song, stated that while he respects Nigeria, his team is determined to achieve victory.
Song acknowledged that his team had a slow start in the tournament but emphasized that they are gradually building up and approaching the upcoming match with a focused mindset. Both Nigeria and Cameroon have had underwhelming starts to the campaign, with Nigeria finishing second in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon narrowly surviving elimination thanks to a late 3-2 win against the Gambia.
The historical rivalry between these two giants of African football adds another layer of anticipation to the upcoming match. They have met three times on the continent’s biggest stage, with Nigeria winning 3-2 in 2019 and 2-1 in 2004, while Cameroon triumphed 4-3 on penalties following a 2–2 draw four years earlier.
In terms of their overall head-to-head record, Nigeria has secured 4 victories, while Cameroon has 2 wins, and the two teams have drawn twice in their 8 encounters.
The upcoming Nigeria-Cameroon match is expected to be a fiercely contested battle between two footballing powerhouses. Fans will be eagerly looking forward to witnessing this clash of titans in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.
