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The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast is entering the knockout stage in top gear as Nigeria and Cameroon clash in Abidjan on Saturday night.

Given their histories, rivalry, and heavyweight calibre, this is the most anticipated fixture at this stage of the competition.

Although Cameroon struggled in the group stage, the fact that they face the Super Eagles means they will want to prove to the world that indeed they are Indomitable Lions.

Looking back in history, the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan serves as a memorable moment, especially for this Cameroon-Nigeria fixture. The Indomitable Lions lifted their first AFCON title on this field in 1984 when they defeated the Super Eagles by a margin of 3-1.

The former AFCON giants went on to meet again in two more finals in 1988 and 2000 in finals that were held in Morocco and Nigeria, respectively, with the Lions emerging winners on both occasions.

When they met in 2004 in Tunisia, the Super Eagles won a quarter-final contest, and in 2019 in Egypt, they met in the Round of 16, and Nigeria again had the last laugh.

Cameroon are in this tournament looking for their sixth title, while Nigeria are in the hunt for a fourth trophy.

Coaches’ views

Ahead of the Round of 16 clash, Nigeria’s head coach, Jose Peseiro, is aware of what the stats are saying concerning this fixture but is hopeful Nigeria will fight and win.

“It’s a difficult match. We are in the round of 16 and playing against a great team. We don’t want to concede; we want to score a goal and maintain our lead. We expect that history will not repeat itself at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

“Even if the statistics are not for us, we are going to play. It is a mission that has been entrusted to us, and we are going to try to carry it out. We want to win; we want to stay in this tournament until the end,” Peseiro told CAFOnline.

On his part, Cameroon’s Rigobert Song affirmed the need to fight and win.

“We know what we need to do and where we need to go. We have prepared and remain focused. We started slowly, moving up gradually. At this stage of the competition, I think there are no more things to look for.

“In three matches, I no longer have the right to calculate; I have to correct what didn’t work. I will do everything necessary to obtain a positive result,” the retired defender said.