- Two second-half goals put Nigeria through
- Holders Cameroon eliminated
- Nigeria last won the tournament in 2013
- Nigeria will face hosts Egypt or South Africa in quarter-finals
SEE MATCH STAT
MATCH REPORT
Holders Cameroon were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Nigeria in a five-goal last-16 thriller.
Goals from Stephane Bahoken and Clinton Njie saw Cameroon lead 2-1 at half-time after Odion Ighalo had put Nigeria ahead in Alexandria, Egypt.
But two goals in three minutes swung the game back in Nigeria’s favour and set up a quarter-final with either hosts Egypt or South Africa.
Ighalo equalised before the forward set up Alex Iwobi to hit the winner.
Nigeria had been on the receiving end of an upset in their previous game, a 2-0 defeat by Madagascar in their final group match.
Yet they produced their best performance of the tournament to end Cameroon’s hopes of retaining the title they won in Gabon in 2017.
Ighalo’s deflected shot gave Nigeria the lead before Bahoken side-footed the equaliser after Christian Bassogog’s cross.
In an enthralling tie, Cameroon took the lead through Njie’s composed finish.
Man-of-the-match Ighalo made it 2-2 with a volley after Ahmed Musa’s chest down before Ighalo turned provider for Arsenal’s Iwobi to slot in a dramatic decisive goal.
BEFORE THE MATCH
The Nigeria stand looks like more like a villa and at one end we have a very nice arch with some ancient Olympic style pictures on them.
Then at the opposite end in one corner is the ancient ruin of a castle – after all this is the oldest stadium in Africa built in a city founded in the time of Alexander the Great.
It is also a smaller stadium and even though it has an athletics track round it (covered with a blue carpet) it feels more intimate than the stadiums in Cairo.
Its compactness also means more of an atmosphere created by the limited fans in here.
On paper this looks a real clash of the African heavyweights – but neither team has impressed at this tournament yet!
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