Two familiar foes will go head-to-head as Nigeria and Cameroon clash at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). Which of these teams will advance to the next round?
Nigeria vs Cameroon overview
This Round of 16 match will take place at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday January 27. Kick-off time is 9 pm WAT.
Nigeria
Nigeria's Super Eagles had a solid group-stage campaign. Although they finished second in Group A, José Peseiro's men amassed seven points from a possible nine.
The Super Eagles will be eyeing a quarter-final spot as they square off against Cameroon this weekend.
Cameroon
On the other hand, Cameroon needed a stoppage-time winner in order to book a place in the knockout stages. They had a disappointing group-stage campaign, with four points from three matches.
Rigobert Song will have his work cut out for him, as his men face an in-form Nigeria. It'll be interesting to see how these teams will match-up against each other.
Nigeria vs Cameroon head to head
It's worth mentioning that Nigeria and Cameroon have eight AFCON titles between them. They've clashed in many great games, with three of those coming in the finals of the Nations Cup.
As it stands, Nigeria won 12 of 25 previous meetings between these teams, with eight draws and five losses.
Interestingly, although Cameroon won just five of 25 skirmishes with the Super Eagles, three of those victories were at AFCON finals.
Furthermore, these teams met at this stage in AFCON 2019, where Nigeria defeated the Indomitable Lions en route to their third-place finish. The most recent meeting between these sides was in a friendly match in June 2021.
Nigeria vs Cameroon potential lineups
Both teams received some good news ahead of this clash. The Super Eagles will be able to call upon the services of captain William Troost-Ekong, who missed the team's last group game.
Similarly, Vincent Aboubakar is back in action for Cameroon. The Besiktas player was the top-scorer in the previous edition of this tournament, he's yet to play in AFCON 2024.
Both teams are expected to line up in a 3-4-3 formation for this clash. These are our probable Nigeria vs Cameroon lineups:
Nigeria
Goalkeeper: Stanley Nwabali.
Defenders: Calvin Bassey, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi.
Midfielders: Zaidu Sanusi, Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Frank Onyeka.
Forwards: Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman.
Cameroon
Goalkeeper: Fabrice Ondoa.
Defenders: Nouhou Tolo, Christopher Wooh, Charles Castelletto.
Midfielders: Darlin Yongwa, Frank Anguissa, Olivier Ntcham, Tchato Mbiayi.
Forwards: Georges-Kévin N'Koudou, Frank Magri, Karl Toto Ekambi.
Nigeria vs Cameroon tactical analysis
Nigeria's Super Eagles are coming off back-to-back wins, and are unbeaten at AFCON 2024. However, Peseiro's men have struggled in front of goal, scoring just once in each of their group games.
On the positive side, the Super Eagles have been able to rely on their stingy defence, which allowed one goal in three group matches.
In contrast, Cameroon have not been able to keep the goals out, as they saw their defence breached six times in the group stages.
Conversely, the Indomitable Lions found the net five times in three matches, they won just one of their last five games in all competitions.
Nigeria vs Cameroon prediction
Given that Nigeria have dominated recent meetings between these teams, coupled with their solid performance in the group stages, it's tough to root against the Super Eagles.
While we have no doubt that this will be a tightly-contested clash, we are leaning towards the Super Eagles for the victory.
Where to watch Nigeria vs Cameroon live
AfroSport TV, SuperSport, StarTimes and NTA Sports 24 will broadcast this match on TV for fans who reside in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Cameroonians can catch all the action live on Canal+.
