Key events
90+6 min: Cameroon substitution Faris Moumbagna comes on for Karl Toko-Ekambi.
90+5 min Aina is booked for a high tackle on Nkoudou.
90+5 min It may not have been a sparkling performance from Nigeria, but there’s no doubt the best team has won. Cameroon have been so disappointing.
90+3 min Tchato takes his frustration out on Lookman and is a bit fortunate to not be booked.
90+1 min There will be 10 minutes of added time. Cameroon need 10 hours.
Ademola Lookman’s second goal has sparked wild celebrations among the Nigeria players. They took a short free-kick on ther left, with Iwobi releasing Bassey on the left. He clipped a cross to the near post, where Lookman was totally unmarked. He watched the bounce carefully, opened his body and steered a close-range shot that went through Ondoa and into the net.
GOAL! Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon (Lookman 90)
Nigeria will play Angola in the quarter-finals!
88 min Ntcham’s long-range shot is blocked and Nigeria break. Iwobi, who started the move, gets the ball back from Lookman in the area but loses his bearings and shoots well wide of the near post. He had more time than he realised.
87 min Simon is booked for a tactical foul on Tolo.
87 min: Cameroon subsitution Enzo Tchato is on for Moumi Ngamaleu.
86 min: Great defending by Tolo! Osimhen and Simon combined well on the left to find Lookman. He slid the ball across the area to the onrushing Aina, whose shot was brilliantly blocked by Tolo.
85 min A rare bit of Cameroonian urgency from Ngamaleu, who controls a crossfield pass before dribbling past Bassey and into the area. Bassey recovers to make a good tackle.
83 min “This year, Nigeria have displayed the amazing ability to not play well themselves – but make their opponents party really badly,” says Adesokan Makanaki. “All in all, still a match-winning skill.”
Who says Jose Mourinho is finished?
80 min: Nigeria substitutions Stanley Nwabili can’t continue and will be replaced in goal by Francis Uzoho. Kenneth Omeruo is also coming on for Zaidu Sanusi. There’s going to be loads of injury time.
78 min: Cameroon substitution Here comes the big man, Vincent Aboubakar, in place of the defender Oumar Gonzalez. That should mean a switch to 4-2-4.
77 min “I always try to think of something constructive to say to you guys, and also make some insinuation that doing the OBO or MBM is the best job in the world…” says Matt Dunnill, “but maaaate. This is a really bad game. I actually feel for you. This is grim. A really tough watch. I literally have nothing more to say!”
I guess you need games like this to make the classics count. Also, it’s not over yet.
76 min Now there’s an official cooling break.
75 min Nwabili is still being treated. Nkoudou was booked for the challenge, which was reckless rather than malicious.
73 min Nwabili claims a deep cross from the right and is clattered by Nkoudou. I think it was accidental, but both players are down.
71 min Nkoudou beats Lookman on the left wing and is pulled back. He takes the free-kick himself and Nwabili punches away.
70 min It’s a surprise Rigobert Song hasn’t made any substitutions because Cameroon are offering nothing in attack.
68 min The relentless Osimhen runs onto a ball forward and is about to shoot when Tolo puts the ball behind for a corner. It’s curled out and flapped away by Ondoa.
67 min An injury to the Nigeria keeper Nwabili allows the players to have a drink. Have one anyway.
66 min “Watching this Nigeria side is extremely frustrating,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They have the ingredients of a great team, but they’re like sauce that isn’t thickening in the pan. Meanwhile, Cameroon are just bad, but somehow still in the game. Why Nigeria aren’t going for the kill is mystifying, and may end up costing them.”
63 min Osimhen has been superb tonight, pretty much a one-man attack. For the umpteenth time he makes something out of a nothing ball forward and gallops down the left, but Gonzalez does really well to stay with him and make an important tackle.
61 min Cameroon’s main option from the bench is Vincent Aboubakar. He’s not 100 per cent fit, but as things stand there’s not much point saving him for the quarter-finals.
60 min Ondoa springs from his line to beat Osimhen to a through ball; good goalkeeping.
58 min Nouhou blasts miles wide from distance. Cameroon still haven’t had a shot on target.
57 min “Just come across from watching a completely toothless Fulham outplay Newcastle without ever looking like scoring to find that things are getting even worse,” says Richard Hirst. “If it stays like this we won’t be getting Bassey and Iwobi back. How have we vexed the gods?”
You made the mistake of buying very good footballers.
56 min Osimhen beats Ondoa to a 50/50 ball on the edge of the area and goes down. He turns to appeal for a penalty, only to realise the flag has gone up for offside. That offside looked extremely tight, though I’m not sure it was a foul by Ondoa either.
55 min Lookman slams the free-kick over the bar. Ondoa had it covered.
53 min More desperate defending from Cameroon. A lazy pass from Wooh is intercepted by Onyeka, who charges from the halfway line to the edge of the area. Wooh brings him down in the D and is booked.
51 min Aina drives a long, angled cross that just evades the unmarked Lookman beyond the far post.
49 min Osimhen is sent flying again, this time by Ngamaleu. Lookman overhits the free-kick and Ondoa claims.
46 min Osimhen is sent flying by Gonzalez, who is fortunate not to be booked. In fact the referee didn’t even give a foul.
46 min Peep peep! Cameroon begin the second half.
Half-time reading
Half time: Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon
Nigeria are deservedly in front after a scruffy, disappointing first half. They dominated a very poor Cameroon side and created what few chances there were. Semi Ajayi had an early goal ruled out by VAR, then Ademola Lookman scored for real after a mistake from Oumar Gonzalez.
The two centre-forwards, Victor Osimhen and Magri, showed a few touches of class. For everyone else it was a bit of a slog.
45+3 min Six minutes of added time, mainly because of the disallowed goal.
45 min “Evening Rob,” says Neil Way. “I think in claiming the goal was a defensive fiasco, you’re missing Lookman’s role in the comedy – given a whole, gaping goal to aim at, he tried his hardest to hit the keeper instead. Without that the keeper wouldn’t have had a chance to make a glorious hash of diving over the ball too. Is there a prize for worst goal of the tournament?”
That would be great. Call it the Ballon d’Oh or something.
44 min Free-kick to Cameroon in a decent position on the right-wing. Nkoudou belts it behind for a goalkick. Magri aside, Cameroon have been really poor going forward.
42 min At first I thought Ondoa should have done better on Lookman’s goal. On reflection, maybe he was a bit unfortunate. He was sprawling across goal and got plenty on the shot, but it slithered under his body and into the net.
41 min Ntcham accidentally stands on the foot of Zaidu Sanusi, who twists his ankle and is in a fair bit of pain. I think he’ll be okay to continue.
38 min Magri controls Gonzalez’s long ball on the chest on the edge of the area, then spins Troost-Ekong in the same movement, but Troost-Ekong recovers superbly to stretch and block the shot.
That was a beautiful bit of centre-forward play from Magri, who looks sharp but also lonely.
It was a bit of a fiasco in the Cameroon defence. Gonzalez dawdled on the ball after receiving a throw-in and was robbed by Osimhen. He stumbled to the edge of the area, drew two defenders and slid the ball across to Lookman. His first-time shot wriggled under the diving Ondoa, who probably should have done better, and Gonzalez on the line could only help the ball into the net.
OUT OF NOWHERE! Nigeria take the lead over Cameroon!
“That’s what happens when a player gives you 120%, a player playing with his heart” 🇳🇬❤️ pic.twitter.com/ljQ8VDpWWG
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 27, 2024
GOAL! Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon (Lookman 35)
It just got better: Ademola Lookman has scored!
