AFCON 2023: Nigeria to face Cameroon in Round of 16; Senegal Defeat Guinea to End Group Stage

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to face Cameroon in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16.

This matchup was confirmed after Cameroon secured the second spot in Group C with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Gambia on Tuesday evening.

Nigeria, having finished second in Group A, was slated to meet the Group C runners-up, which turned out to be Cameroon.

The game saw a goalless first half, with Toko Ekambi breaking the deadlock for Cameroon 11 minutes into the second half. However, Ablie Jallow equalized for Gambia in the 72nd minute.

A surprising turn came in the 85th minute when Ebrima Colley gave Gambia the lead, seemingly knocking Cameroon out of the competition.

Nevertheless, James Gomez’s own goal two minutes later revived Cameroon’s hopes.

In the nine minutes of stoppage time, Christopher Wooh secured Cameroon’s lead with a powerful header.

The drama continued as Gambia managed to equalize, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball in the build-up.

This victory ensured Cameroon advanced to the knockout round along with Senegal, who defeated Guinea 2-0 in the final Group C match.

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Senegal finished the group stage with a perfect nine points, while Cameroon and Guinea both ended with four points each and a negative goal difference.

However, Cameroon’s higher goal tally allowed them to progress. Guinea still has a strong chance of advancing as one of the top four third-placed teams.

On the other hand, Gambia finished at the bottom of the group with no points, having lost all their matches.