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Former Nigeria captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha grinned as a proud uncle after his nephew, Alex Iwobi scored the winner in Super Eagles’ 3-2 win over perennial rivals, Cameroun, in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match on Saturday, Completesports.com reports.
Odion Ighalo struck twice with Iwobi scoring the winner for the Super Eagles after Cameroon had raced from a goal down to lead 2-1 courtesy of goals from Stephen Bahoken and Clinton Njie.
The last time Nigeria beat Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, Okocha scored a brilliant freekick in a 2-1 win in 2004. 15 years later, his nephew, Iwobi also scored the winner in a 3-2 win.
Okocha, on punditry duties on SuperSport, said after the match: “It is in the family now, it is official that Alex Iwobi too has done something against Cameroun just like I did at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“In that very game which saw the Super Eagles emerge as 2-1 winners, I scored from a free-kick which also turned out to be the winning goal.
“Today (Saturday) again, Alex Iwobi got the winning goal and that means we have something very good against Cameroun in the family,” Okocha said.
On centre-back, Kenneth Omeruo being at fault for the Indomitable Lions’ first goal, Okocha admitted that the Chelsea player was at fault but backed him to improve.
“If a cross is coming in as a central defender, I think you have to focus on the striker because there is only one thing that they can do which is to put crosses in.
“So, if you can stay close to your man and be aware of where he is, you will know that your job is half-done. Kenneth Omeruo’s positioning for Cameroun’s first goal was poor.
“But as we all know, without mistakes, there will not be goals in a game. However, I believe that he can always improve in some other matches as the tournament progresses.”
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
(pix: by Ganiyu Yusuf in Alexandria)
17 Comments
DearJayJay, your goal against Cameroon in 04 wasn’t the “winning” goal— but rather, Utaka’s
I’m very sure it’s the excitement that made him spill that error. It’s pardonable anyways lol
UTAKA NO PLAY IN 04 GAME AGAINS CAMEROO
John Utaka scored the winning goal at AFCON 2004 in Tunisia.
on point bro!!
My broda…..see me o
Utaka did not even play in that match in 04.
LOL what are you saying?? Aiye mi temi bami o
Edoman, my brother, John Utaka scored the second and winning goal against cameroun at Tunisia 04. Samuel Etoo scored for Cameroun, and JJ Okocha equalized for Nigeria through a freekick, then John Utaka scored the winning goal. I watched it live and i still watch it till today.
I take score the winning goal in 04 assist by kanu
Utaka played and scored the winning goal via an assist from papilo…jay jay never said he scored the winning goal…I saw the interview and I think complete sports can do better
hmmmmmmmmm the errors are becoming one too many and unprofessional— or don’t you think?
Anyway it was just an error but i have to defend omeruo on that goal. I dont think he can do better than that as a defender. The cross was not a normal cross becos the cameroun player didnt bit his maker to cross that ball he crossed the ball unexpectedly curly the ball through is maker so omeruo couldnot anticipate that action becos that cross was very fast almost like a freekick. If he had gotten the ball it would have bin an owngoal too. I think nigeria should stop allowing crosses at list well taking crosses into their box by disturbing who ever plans to cross. Secondly our keeper should al anticipate some crosses by coming out and punsh them out like enyeama use to do, after all he sees better than the defenders.
John Utaka broke the offside trap from the right as he collected a defence splitting through ball from Nwankwo KANU to score what was to be the winning
goal.
i prefer Balogun to Omeruo as last man. Omeruo na suspect. He did same thing against Argentina
CS are beginning to embarrass themselves with their unprofessionalism. The errors are becoming annoying and unpardonable
@bishop gbam! na Utaka ‘the attacker’ scored d winning goal. I remember Eto scored first & a sublime freekick from Jay Jay tie d match at 1:1 before Papilo pass to Utaka to score d match winner. All Correct’
Richie is absolutely right. Okocha scored the equalizer goal while Cameroon is leading with a goal down from Samuel Etoo. Okocha did score from a free kick spot to make it 1-1. After which John Utaka received a wonderful parallel pass from Papillo; Kanu Nwakwo and converted it low pass the goal keeper; very close to the right bar of that of keeper. So, the winning goal is from Utaka not Okocha ok. Gideon and Edoman should please argue what they know n not what they don’t know. It may be their age at the time is not mature enough to see the match then. I guess they both had it from football analysts or some where else.