Nigeria ousted holders and bitter rivals Cameroon from the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring twice in three minutes to come from behind and win a thrilling last-16 match 3-2 on Saturday, Reuters reports.
In a game that fully lived up to its billing, Odion Ighalo gave Nigeria a 19th-minute lead but Cameroon hit back with two goals in quick succession before halftime from Stephane Bahoken and Clinton Njie.
Ighalo levelled again for Nigeria — who have lost three AFCON finals to Cameroon — in the 63rd minute amid suspicions of offside before Alex Iwobi snatched the winner for the jubilant Super Eagles three minutes later.
The win earned Nigeria a quarter-final against hosts Egypt or South Africa who were meeting later on Saturday.
Both teams finished second in their groups and had not been in the best of form and it showed with an abundance of defensive mistakes, but there was also much to admire in an end-to-end match.
Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr said the shock defeat by Madagascar in their final group match might have benefited his side. “It did us good, it helped motivate us today to win this very difficult match,” he said.
Cameroon coach Clarence Seedorf said his team paid for sitting on their lead. “We slowed down a little too much instead of trying to score the third goal,” he said. “Obviously, Nigeria has all the quality to score goals and I think that was what went wrong, in general terms.”
It was a scrappy opening with misplaced passes by both sides until Nigeria went ahead in the 19th minute with an untidy goal.
Cameroon’s defence failed to deal with a free kick into the area and Kenneth Omeruo found Ighalo who reacted quickly and scored with a shot that was deflected into the net.
The Nigeria defence still looked vulnerable as a wild miskick by Omeruo gave Cameroon a corner and they also handed Cameroon a chance which Pierre Kunde Malong wasted by firing over.
But the game turned dramatically before halftime as Cameroon, who had not scored in their previous two games, struck twice in three minutes.
Christian Bassogog wriggled past his marker on the right and sent a perfect cross into the area, leaving Bahoken with the formality of turning the ball into the net in the 41st minute.
Nigeria had barely time to recover when Cameroon struck again with Bahoken turning provider as he flicked the ball on to Clinton Njie who raced past Olaoluwa Aina and drilled the ball into the net.
Goalkeeper Victor Akyepi made a desperate last-ditch save to prevent a Nigeria own goal early in the second half before the game took another twist.
Nigeria levelled in the 61st minute when Ahmed Musa chested the ball into the path of Ighalo to volley home. He was level with the last man although it was the sort of goal that might be ruled out for offside by the VAR system which will be introduced in the quarter-finals.
Three minutes later, Ighalo turned provider as he set up Iwobi who beat Andre Onana with a calm finish to seal a famous victory and set off wild celebrations among the Nigerian players, officials and media.
Thembinkosi Lorch scored five minutes from time to hand South Africa an upset 1-0 win and knock holders Egypt out of the Africa Cup of Nations as the shock results at the competition continued on Saturday.
South Africa, who had lost two of their three group games yet crept into the knockout stages, showed great improvement and were the more enterprising team, leaving 70,000 partisan fans at the Cairo International Stadium stunned.
Lorch finished off a sweeping counter-attack as South Africa, who created much the better chances, finally reaped a reward for their efforts.
They will now meet Nigeria, who earlier on Saturday eliminated holders Cameroon in a come-from-behind victory, in Wednesday’s quarter-final.
South Africa’s victory followed Friday’s shock success for tiny Benin over heavily fancied Morocco at the start of the knockout phase.
South Africa’s quick passing moves and counter-attacking looked to catch Egypt off guard in the beginning of the game and, as the match went on, the hosts were increasingly pegged back.
Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shennawi made a spectacular fingertip save to deny Percy Tau’s dipping freekick after 24 minutes and was busy throughout the first half as several efforts from the underdogs whistled past his goal.
Egypt’s only chance fell to Mahmoud Trezeguet who hit the ball straight at the goalkeeper after being fed a pass by Mohamed Salah, who looked out of sorts in the match.
Salah teed up his team mate again in the 57th minute but once more Trezeguet hit it straight into the arms of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
That was as much as a subdued Egypt threatened in a lacklustre showing.
Captain Thulani Hlatshwayo should have put South Africa ahead after 70 minutes but flashed his header wide, followed 120 seconds later by a shot from Lorch that El Shennawi saved.
Defeat will come as a hefty blow to Egypt who stepped in as emergency hosts in January after Cameroon were stripped of the right to host the 2019 finals. Ironically Egypt were chosen over South Africa.