President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has described the Super Eagles’ performance against the Indomitable Lions on Saturday as a solid performance.
Gusau, while speaking shortly after the team’s 2-0 win in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16, said it was a delightful performance.
“It was a solid performance and we are proud of the team,” he said.
Super Eagles won through an Ademola Lookman brace to advance into the competition’s quarter-finals.
“They did a great job tonight and we look forward to the quarter-finals with high expectations,” Gusau added.
Super Eagles’ will now meet Angola on Friday in the quarter-finals.
In Saturday’s match at Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the Eagles played with assurance and thought they had the lead when Semi Ajayi swept the ball home from a goalmouth melee.
Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed gave the goal, but was summoned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to watch the action again, and he afterwards ruled out the strike.
The duo of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman did not relent however.
In the 35th minute, the Africa Player of the Year award winner had the better of dithering defender Oumar Gonzalez and threaded to Lookman, who shot past Fabrice Ondoa from close range.
After the recess, Nigeria continued where they had left off in the first period, and Lookman blasted over the sticks from a 22-yard free-kick.
Five minutes later Lookman freed Osimhen but got too much pressure on the ball and Ondoa cleared.
Cameroon called goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to duty in the 71st minute with a fierce free-kick, but the goaltender punched clear.
Nwabali was however injured in another goalmouth melee and had to be substituted by Francis Uzoho.
Five minutes from the end, a one-two of Osimhen and Lookman from the left saw the ball rolled to Olaoluwa Aina in the box.
But his effort was too weak and Ondoa blocked with his leg.
On the dot of 90 minutes, Calvin Bassey and Lookman combined from the left, leaving the Cameroonian defence flummoxed.
Lookman only needed to place the ball to the far left of Ondoa for his second goal of the night.
The three-time champions, who also knocked out Cameroon from the 2019 AFCON in the Round of 16, will now confront Angola’s Palancas Negras, who beat Namibia 3-0 earlier in the day.
The match will come up at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.