Summary

  • Three-time winners Nigeria beat five-time champions Cameroon in last 16

  • Ademola Lookman gave Nigeria the lead nine minutes before the break

  • Lookman guided in late second after Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was forced off injured

  • Nigeria will face Angola in quarter-finals of Afcon 2023 on Friday

  1. Super Eagles soar onpublished at 22:30 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Nigeria CelebrateImage source, Rex Features

    Enjoy that? Our first quarter-final of the tournament is set after Angola and Nigeria both had reasonably comfortable Saturday nights, Ademola Lookman scoring both goals to send the three-time champions through.

    The Afcon 2023 action continues tomorrow, starting with Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea at 17:00 GMT and proceeding to Mohamed Salah-less Egypt against DR Congo (20:00 GMT). We'll have you covered with all of the action from both of those last-16 matches.

    Thanks for your company this evening.

  2. Postpublished at 22:24 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Victor Osimhen at AfconImage source, Getty Images

    Nigeria have both played in (41) and won (23) more matches in the knockout stages of the this competition than any other nation.

    Bravo.

  3. 'Cameroon were caught napping'published at 22:18 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Gabriel Zakuani
    Former DR Congo international on BBC Three

    Rigobert Song at AfconImage source, Getty Images

    Cameroon were caught by surprise by Ademola Lookman for the second goal.

    Their defence was caught napping. They thought Nigeria were taking the ball into the corner.

  4. Postpublished at 22:15 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    Cameroon at AfconImage source, Getty Images

    For Cameroon, it's four defeats in their last five meetings with Nigeria at this tournament.

    There was to be no repeat of their goals in the 87th and 91st minutes to rescue themselves against The Gambia in their final group-stage game.

    They were unbeaten in normal time as they finished third in 2021 but rarely looked like recovering once they fell behind tonight.

  5. Nigeria to face Angola in last eightpublished at 22:13 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Angola 3-0 Namibia

    Next up for Nigeria is a quarter-final against Angola back in Abidjan on Friday.

    The Palancas Negras beat Namibia 3-0 earlier today in what proved to be a lively encounter with three goals and two red cards.

  6. Postpublished at 22:10 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Nigeria at AfconImage source, Getty Images

    Nigeria have won seven of their last nine matches at the Afcon finals, their only defeat being a 1-0 loss against Tunisia at this stage in 2021.

    Can they go all the way this year? Give us a thumbs up if you think they will or a thumbs down if they won't.

  7. Super Eagles avenge 1984 defeatpublished at 22:10 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    FT: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Ian Williams
    BBC Sport Africa at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium

    Victor Osimhen, who was substituted with a couple of minutes remaining, is the first player to burst from the technical area as the Nigerian bench empties on to the pitch at the full-time whistle.

    The Super Eagles striker leaps, punches the air and then drops to his knees, pumping both fists.

    At the other end of the scale, a glum looking Samuel Eto’o, who is sitting in the VIP seats, appears on the big screen.

    Now president of Cameroon's football federation, the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker has some thinking to do about what net for the Indomitable Lions.

    This was very much Nigeria’s night - a deserved victory that avenges their defeat to Cameroon in this very stadium in the 1984 Afcon final.

  8. FULL-TIMEpublished at 22:03 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Victor Osimhen celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    Nigeria are in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Afcon finals!

    After all the drama we saw during the group stage, tonight's result was far more routine.

    Victor Osimhen departed in added time without a goal but the striker's influence was clear, setting up Ademola Lookman's opener and providing a persistent threat as the Super Eagles soared past a Cameroon side who failed to have a shot on target.

    Lookman's second was part of a flowing move, deservedly putting his team in the final eight.

    They'll be back at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium on Friday (17:00 GMT) to face Angola, who thrashed Namibia earlier this evening, in the last eight.

  9. Postpublished at 90 +7 mins

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Cameroon legend Samuel Eto'o looks dejected in the stands, as well he might.

    The five-time champions are heading out imminently.

  10. CLOSE!published at 90 +4 mins

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Victor Osimhen is almost in to make it 3-0.

    Jean-Charles Castelletto makes a mess of clearing a cross, the ball bouncing off his leg and almost dropping for the lurking Osimhen in front of goal before the centre-back recovers to hack it clear.

    Castalletto wasn't helped by Fabrice Ondoa coming out with non-existent conviction.

  11. Indomitable Lions challenge almost overpublished at 22:02 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Ian Williams
    BBC Sport Africa at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium

    There are audible groans as Cameroon’s Georges-Kevin Nkoudou sends a promising set-piece delivery over the heads of everyone in the penalty area and out for a goal-kick.

    Rigobert Song claps his hands in a desperate attempt to keep his players’ spirits up, but it really doesn’t look like being Cameroon’s night.

    Ola Aina even gives a disconsolate-looking Nkoudou a sympathetic pat on the back.

  12. Postpublished at 90 +3 mins

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Olivier Ntcham sends in a corner for Cameroon from the right.

    Victor Osimhen heads clear.

  13. Postpublished at 90 +2 mins

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Cameroon have a chance to send in a cross from the left.

    They waste the opportunity again.

  14. 'Cameroon haven't deserved anything'published at 21:58 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Gabriel Zakuani
    Former DR Congo international on BBC Three

    Cameroon have not done enough in the final third. Their final ball has been lacking, shocking.

    It just hasn't been good enough. They haven't deserved anything from what they've done going forward in this game.

  15. INJURY TIMEpublished at 90+1 mins

    Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

    Into 10 minutes of injury time. Is there any way back for Cameroon?

  16. goal

    GOAL: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroonpublished at 21:53 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January

    Ademola Lookman (90 mins)

    Ademola Lookman celebrate scoring for Nigeria against CameroonImage source, Getty Images

    Ademola Lookman strikes to surely put Nigeria in the 2023 Afcon quarter-finals!

    This is a move worthy of sealing a spot in the final eight, starting with a quickly-worked free-kick on the left, from which Alex Iwobi sends Calvin Bassey clear on the same flank.

    Bassey finds the winger in space in front of goal, and his measured, emphatic finish finds the net via Fabrice Ondoa's fingers on a night to forget for the Cameroon goalkeeper.

  17. Postpublished at 88 mins

    Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon

    Ademola Lookman plays in Alex Iwobi as part of a terrific counter-attack started by a Victor Osimhen header.

    The Fulham midfielder slashes his shot well wide.

  18. YELLOW CARDpublished at 86 mins

    Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon

    Moses Simon is the first Nigeria player to be booked, interrupting Nouhou Tolo's run as he tries to dart past him.

  19. CLOSE!published at 84 mins

    Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon

    Nigeria almost have a second!

    A rapid interchange between Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen sets up Ola Aina in space inside the box on the right, but his shot is blocked.