Preview
African giants Nigeria and Cameroon are gearing up for a highly-anticipated friendly, with these two rivals set to lock horns on Friday at the Wiener Neustädter Stadion in Austria. This 3:30 p.m. ET showdown will be the first of two encounters over the span of five days, with the continental powerhouses set to face off for a second time later next week.
This fixture will serve two purposes for the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions. With the CAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup set to kick off this September, both nations will use their run-ins to prepare for the nail-baiting six month battle to make it to Qatar. Furthermore, with the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which was pushed back to January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, being right around the corner, Nigeria and Cameroon will get an early taste of the upcoming continental showdown.
Paul Onuachu and Co. finished top of their group in the qualifiers for the upcoming AFCON tournament, going unbeaten en route to next year's tournament. With four wins and two draws from six matches, group rivals Benin, Sierre Leone, and Lesotho mustered no threat to the three-time champions of Africa.
Cameroon's form in the qualifying tournament was not as straight-forward. While the Indomitable Lions topped their group, they finished a mere point ahead of second-placed Cape Verde having won three while losing one out of their six ties. Regardless, given that they are the hosts for the 2021 AFCON, they were guaranteed a ticket for January.
Bragging rights is up for but unfortunately, form does not favor Eric Choupo-Moting and Co. Cameroon have failed to win any of their last four fixtures, losing three in a row to Morocco, Guinea, and Cape Verde. In fact, the Indomitable Lions have picked up only one victory from their last seven outings. Their opponents, on the other hand, head into this tie on the back of consecutive wins, beating Benin and Lesotho in their most recent games while racking up a five-game unbeaten streak.
Team news
Nigeria: Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, and Kelechi Iheanacho have all been called up to the national team and will be vying for minutes. Ahmed Musa will likely lead the line while Ndidi is tipped to be the midfield marshal.
Cameroon: Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana remains sidelined due to a doping ban, with Fabrice Ondoa deputizing in his absence. Zambo Anguissa will be keen on a start after his impressive individual season in the Premier League.
Key stats
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This will be the 24th encounter between these two African giants.
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Nigeria boast the superior head-to-head record, winning 12 times while losing only four run-ins (D7).
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The last time these two sides met, the Super Eagles pulled off a 3-2 comeback win courtesy of goals from Ighalo (2x) and Iwobi.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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