Cameroon Vs. Nigeria: Simon Moses fires shots at club-mate Casteletto.
In the build-up to their crucial Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 clash, Nigeria winger, Moses Simon has sounded a cautionary note to Cameroon and club-mate, Jean Charles Casteletto.
The encounter between the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions is set to take place on Saturday, January 27, at the Félix Houphouët Boigny Stadium.
During a pre-match press conference in Abidjan today (January 26), Simon noted that Nigeria triumphed over the physically imposing hosts, Ivory Coast with a 1-0 victory.
He stressed that physicality alone does not guarantee success, urging his teammates to focus on playing their game and scoring goals, adding that he knows the weaknesses and strength of club-mate, Jean Charles Casteletto.
“I have a teammate in Cameroon, I know his weak point and strength. So, we will approach the game in serenity,” Moses emphasized.
The match, scheduled to kick off at 11:00 pm East African Time (9 pm West African Time), is being touted as a de facto final before the actual culmination of the tournament.
This fixture, previously the AFCON final in 1984, 1988, and 2000, sees Nigeria and Cameroon face off at this stage for the first time since their 2019 encounter, which the Super Eagles won 3-2 with goals from Odion Ighalo (two) and Alex Iwobi, as reported by CAF.
The Indomitable Lions, historically successful against the Super Eagles in the early stages of AFCON, have experienced a recent downturn, losing three of their last four encounters. Cameroon are only surpassed in AFCON defeats by Egypt, having lost to the West Africans three times.
Nigeria, making their 15th consecutive AFCON appearance, have consistently reached the knockout stages. However, after winning four in a row, they faced elimination in their last two knockout ties (2019 semi-finals, 2021 last 16).
Cameroon’s recent knockout games have been decided by penalties, with a loss in the 2021 semi-finals against Egypt and a victory in the third-place play-off against Burkina Faso.
In Nigeria’s team news, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman are set to return to the Super Eagles’ starting lineup for the crucial Round of 16 encounter against Cameroon, as reported by Score Nigeria.
The duo, benched in the last group game against Guinea-Bissau, is expected to contribute to Nigeria’s tactical approach, deploying a 3-4-3 formation to secure a victory against their eternal rivals.
For team Cameroon, Vincent Aboubakar is making his return after he pulled a hamstring before the tournament kick-started.
Njie Clinton, as well, will be available to play against Nigeria. Both Njie and Aboubakar have contributed 47 career goals for Cameroon.
