Cameroon legend, Roger Milla is looking forward to a ‘tough battle’ between Super Eagles and Indomitable Lions.
The two teams will clash in a Round of 16 encounter at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on Saturday.
Milla, who was part of the Cameroon squad that defeated Nigeria in the final of the AFCON in 1984 and 1988 stated that is difficult to predict the team that will win the game.
“It’s going be an intense game. It’s a game between two brothers, who know each other very well,” Milla said on RTI.
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“It’s difficult to predict who is going to win the game at the moment.”
The Super Eagles won the last two meetings between both teams at the AFCON finals.
The West Africans knocked out the Indomitable Lions at the quarter-final stage in 2004 in Tunisia.
The Super Eagles were also responsible for Cameroon ‘s ouster in the Round of 16 at the 2019 edition of the AFCON hosted by Egypt.
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COMMENTS
Nothing difficult. Easy win for Nigeria.
You people have started again. That was how you boasted against Tunisia the other time.
Although Cameroon legend Roger Miller expects a tough battle between his Lions and our Eagles in the Afcon R16 game on Saturday, moat observers already know where the battle line will be drawn – the respective goalkeepers of each team.
Whereas Cameroon boast of high calibre goalkeepers in highly credible leagues, Nigeria has had to call on South African based goalkeeper Nwabili to provide the much needed assurance that Cyprus based Uzoho failed to provide.
Having cemented the number one slot for this tournament with manageable but assured displays in the group stages, Nwabili still doesn’t see himself as de facto number one.
For the Punch newspaper, Nwabili said, “I am still not seeing myself as number one; I always say this. I only have an opportunity and I just want to play and give my best.”
Nigeria fans will be hoping Nwabili yet again rises to the occasion against Cameroon. For me, he looks very well grounded in between the sticks. But shortcomings in his grappling technique parrying skills were exposed against Guinea Bissau where he didn’t always look convincing grabbing the ball or punching away to safety. He also conceded a goal in the same match that was ruled out for marginal offside.
Erstwhile Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr believes Nwabili can do the business against Cameroon stating: “He (Nwabili)is calm and has very good control of his area.”
Whilst being impregnable in goal, Nwabili himself pleaded with fans to remain calm that the strikers will come good.
“For me, the goals will come when you have someone like Victor Osimhen; we are not worried about goals but about winning. And now we have qualified for the round of 16.”
Nwabili and Osihmen are expected to keep their places in the match. Although Roger Miller expects a tough tie, past results and current form favours the Super Eagles to take the day.
Deo, I always like your incisive comments.
Thanks Mike
Nigeria came to AFCON with a fearsome attack, but now boasting of the best defence. Super Eagles cannot win by sitting back and not attacking
Regardless, it’s a game Osimen and company are ringing down the curtain. And in entoto, Cameroon ‘re always an easy prey.
Milla is neither here nor there in his assertion, so, I don’t dig into it to the slightest degree.
The Eagles have it all irrespective and conceeding that Football now is a game of space, movement, fast sprints and transitions, here they are better than the all the Aboubakar, Ekambi and their lots. Players on the move in the final third, even walking into space are hard to mark because a defender or midfielder will have to be proactive to do so. The attackers are looking for areas where they can have time and space to play or create overloads with teammates who can pass around opponents. Super Eagles forwards of Simon, Osimhen, Lookman are good at it, true.
The lower level is the only place now really where you regulalry find big brute target men and dimensional defenders going at it like Bassey and Osayi which provides defensive attributes and width using the flanks at optimum, while Ekong provides the impregnable wall protecting Nwakali as you can now see.
Everyone else requires mobile forwards with a range of atributes and ball playing defenders as an antidote to teams fielding on up front. Center back needs to initiate attacks with the midfielders, here the triple set of Yusuf, Aribo and Frank are pivots in this all important space.
In resume, is a game in the bag and my predicted scoreline is 4 to 2 in our favor. The 2 against would come because Nwakali is still not there as Ojo is kept lurking around.
From what you have seen, these players are able to score 4 goals all of a sudden.
@Nnamdi.
The man, Odion is saying something and needs to be listened to if the coach knows what he’s doing.
My brother, talk your own. The man spoke wella.