The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)

Cameroon will face the three-time Africa Cup of Nations winners Nigeria in the last 16 of the ongoing 2024 edition after they defeated Gambia 3-2 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké to secure automatic qualification

After picking up seven of possible nine points during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stages, Nigeria booked their spot in the round of 16 with relative ease despite only scoring once in all three of their games so far. This is now Nigeria’s 15th straight qualification to the knockout phase in AFCON tournaments they’ve featured at, and they’ll hope to go much further than just the last-16, as the Super Eagles picked up a medal in 12 of those 14 prior qualifications. Granted, half of those medals were the third place bronze, but the most recent of those in 2019 saw them draw none other than Cameroon in the round of 16, with Nigeria running out 3-2 victors. That was the most recent of four straight unbeaten competitive H2Hs against the Cameroonians (W3, D1), two of which were wins within 90 minutes and in an AFCON knockout setting. Also third placed finishers in their own 2021 edition, Cameroon are looking to navigate into the quarter-finals for the tenth time across their last 12 AFCON appearances. Despite that respectable record, Cameroon’s traversal of the group stages was anything but graceful. Without a win in their first two matches, it took two goals beyond the 85 minute mark to seal a 3-2 win over Gambia to send them into the knockouts. That game also continued the theme of exciting encounters featuring Cameroon, with each of their last five internationals seeing goals at both ends (W1, D3, L1), three of which saw them claw back deficits to avoid defeat. Another regulation time stalemate wouldn’t surprise here, though coming from behind may not yield immediate success for the Indomitable Lions, who have needed penalty shootouts to decide their last two AFCON knockout games (W1, L1).