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Lookman and Osimhen were the stars as Nigeria beat Cameroon 2-0 to book their place in the quarter-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
The Super Eagles started on the foot, keeping the Cameroonian attackers at bay. Nigeria had the first real moment of the match when Semi Ajayi fired into the back of the net.
However, following a wild celebration, the goal was eventually ruled out after a VAR review. But it did not dampen Nigeria’s spirit as they continued to look dangerous going forward.
The pressure eventually paid off as Victor Osimhen did brilliantly to set up Ademola Lookman for the opener. The game went on like that until Lookman scored his second late in the game to give Nigeria a 2-0 win.
With that being said, we take a look at some of the talking points from the game.
Osimhen is inevitable
Osimhen came into the clash with a lot of pressure on him. The Napoli striker came in for criticism during the group stage, and rightly so.
He was guilty of missing many chances, with no player missing more big chances in the competition than the Nigerian striker.
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However, while the criticism was justified, one thing you can fault Osimhen for is his effort. The Napoli striker is never too tired to go after every ball, even if it is a lost cause.
But it was this effort of Osimhen that led to the opener for the Super Eagles. The 25-year-old was a thorn in the flesh of Cameroonian defenders and that forced Oumar Gonzalez to make a mistake.
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Osimhen forced the Al Raed FC defender to give the ball away under pressure before setting up Lookman with an easy finish.
The effort to win the ball is exactly why Osimhen is still Nigeria’s main man even when he is not scoring.
He might have been guilty of missing several chances, but his effort is never lacking. The only disappointment from the match is that he never got a goal, which his performance deserved.
Lookman proves critics wrong
Coming into the tournament, Lookman was one of those players who faced intense criticism from the local media.
However, the Atalanta has shut his critics up in this tournament. He has been arguably the team’s best player in the competition, and he showed that again in the clash against Cameroon with two goals.
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It was not just about the goals for Lookman but also his technical intelligence. He created one big chance and also made two key passes, while his work rate was not lacking.
Nigeria’s defence stands strong again
The Super Eagles’ defence has been their strength since the competition started, and that was the same story against the Indomitable Lions.
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The backline of William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey did not give Cameroon a sniff despite their threat from set-pieces.
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The three players were so strong in defence that they reduced Cameroon to no shot on target and 0.26 Xg.
Zaidu Sanusi is Nigeria’s weak link
While Nigeria’s defence is the team’s biggest strength, Zaidu Sanusi remains the weakest link in the defence.
The Porto man was deployed as a wing-back but was out of sorts. He chose the wrong passes and slowed down the team’s attacking play with his lack of intelligence.
Defensively, he was also suspect. His lack of quality was laid bare when Bassey slotted into his role after he was taken off for Kenneth Omeruo.
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Bassey showed his quality by providing a decent cross for Lookman’s second, something Zaidu could not do in over 80 minutes of action.
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