BREAKING: NIGERIA, CAMEROON clash 26th time; to settle old rivalry

Nigeria and Cameroon are set to renew their rivalry in the Round of 16 stage of the ongoing 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday.

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, who denied the Super Eagles three AFCON titles in the championship games of 1984, 1988, and 2000, secured the runner-up spot in Group C by defeating The Gambia 3-2 in their last clash.

A peculiar and intricate footballing connection exists between Nigeria and Cameroon, bound together by geography and an inevitable destiny.

Despite their heterogenous composition, Nigeria often appears to share more similarities with its francophone neighbor than within its own diverse population. A common border spans its entire eastern side, and both nations grapple with a shared stake in the militant insurgency that impacts them on both ends.

Yet, this shared background does not seem to generate the expected animosity towards Cameroon, despite the Indomitable Lions’ cruel record against the Super Eagles. Surprisingly, there’s more intensity in the rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana, often considered the major African rivalry, even though Ghana hasn’t significantly altered the history of the Nigerian national team. On paper, the Super Eagles maintain the upper hand in head-to-head encounters, winning 16 out of 20 matches against the Indomitable Lions. However, the context and manner of four defeats, especially those occurring in crucial finals in 1984, 1988, and 2000, leave a bitter taste in Nigerian mouths.

The 1988 final, tainted by referee Idrissa Sarr’s decision to disallow Henry Nwosu’s headed goal, still carries an air of suspicion. Nwosu later expressed his belief that it was a “stolen victory” for Cameroon. The 2000 final in Lagos is remembered as an Afcon classic, decided by a misjudged penalty shootout call. Despite such losses, the Super Eagles managed to exorcise some demons in a memorable Afcon win in 2004.

While Cameroon has had the upper hand in some crucial encounters, including denying Nigeria a place in the 1990 World Cup, the Super Eagles hold an advantage in World Cup qualifiers. Their favorable history in qualifiers, securing four points off Cameroon in preparation for the 1970 edition, provides optimistic signs going into the upcoming double-header. Acquiring four points from two games against the reigning African champions would potentially pave the way for Nigeria to secure a spot in Russia.