Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro hailed Victor Osimhen’s performance as “fantastic” in the victory against Cameroon that saw the Super Eagles progress to 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday.
Forward Ademola Lookman scored both goals in the 2-0 win against the Indomitable Lions in Abidjan to set up a meeting with Angola in the next round.
Osimhen has only scored once in Nigeria’s four games but laid on the first goal against Cameroon.
“He didn’t score but he had a fantastic game. It is not easy to stop that guy,” Portuguese coach Peseiro said.
“He created the first goal. He is fantastic for our team.”
The 25-year-old Osimhen was leading scorer in Serie A last season as Napoli won their first title since 1990 and was named African Footballer of the Year in December.
“Ask the opposition defenders how much they suffered,” Peseiro said of the striker’s pressing of the Cameroon defence, which allowed Osimhen to win the ball back before squaring for Lookman’s opener.
“Nobody can win a match alone, everybody has to play, but he is a good example.”
Nigeria’s defence begins in attack with Osimhen
Nigeria haven’t conceded since they drew their opening match of the tournament 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, Cameroon failed to register a shot on target in the last-16 encounter.
The five-man defence deployed by Peseiro has come in for great praise but midfielder Alex Iwobi says a lot of the credit has to go to the work-rate of the forward line of Osimhen, Lookman and Moses Simon.
“This formation is suiting us,” he told BBC Sport Africa. “We’ve been able to defend, it’s not just the defenders but the people up front when you have Victor, Moses and Ademola working as hard as they do it helps the team.”
The Fulham star, formerly with Arsenal and Everton, also echoed the feelings of Oshimen entering the match that the team are going onto the pitch like “brothers” going to war for Nigeria.
“It was more than a football match, it was almost like a war on the pitch, so to come out on top is a special feeling,” Iwobi added.
Atalanta forward Lookman was awarded the player of the match award for his brace of goals with his team-mates warmly sharing in the celebrations.
“We’ve got a good team spirit – that’s what it comes down to,” Nigeria’s Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina told BBC Sport Africa.
“A lot of people say different things about us but we know what we are doing in the camp.”
Aina admitted he only found out on the day that Nigeria had lost the 1984 final to Cameroon in the same stadium and added: “It’s an old rivalry, so we needed to get one back.”
Angola awaits for the Super Eagles
The three-time champions may be without Stanley Nwabili for the Angola tie after the goalkeeper was stretchered off late on against Cameroon.
“It is impossible to evaluate immediately the situation. We need 24-48 hours before we know, but if he cannot recover we will play with another goalkeeper,” said Peseiro.
Angola topped their group before defeating south African neighbours Namibia 3-0 in their last-16 tie on Saturday.
“They are a very good team. In this moment, all the teams can win this tournament,” added Peseiro.
“Angola have performed very well, and if we want to beat them we must do our best, like today.”
Cameroon looking to learn from mistakes
For the Indomitable Lions, the manner of the defeat to their great rivals Nigeria hurt just as much as the result itself.
Having failed to get a single shot on goal during the entire contest, Cameroon looked a shadow of the side that last lifted the trophy in 2017.
Andre Onana was send home from the 2022 World Cup by Cameroon and was benched for the last two Afcon games by Rigobert Song
Coach Rigobert Song, who benched Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for the second consecutive match, said the loss in Bouake showed where they currently stand.
“Yes, I’m learning from it. I’d say we still need to improve, we need to keep working, and we also need players who are capable of rising to the occasion,” Song reflected.
“Right now we’re making do with what we’ve got. I’m not questioning the talent of the players I have got, but some of them are just discovering this competition and I think it’s by making mistakes that you grow.
“Nigeria had a very fine team, but we gave them the opportunity ourselves – and that’s what hurts the most.”
Napoli midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who helped the Indomitable Lions win Nations Cup bronze on home soil two years ago, said he was “disappointed, annoyed, and very frustrated” – but accepted that this defeat would help the less experienced players grow.
“In these kinds of matches, details make the difference,” he added. “It’s a young group that made a few mistakes, but I hope they’ll come out of it stronger.
“For many of them, it was their first Africa Cup of Nations and I’m happy to have spent it with them. I wish our team a lot of courage.
“Above all, I’d ask them not to give up because it’s always a pleasure to play in these kinds of competitions.
“These days, when you come to play, you come to win, but that’s not always the case. We don’t win, but I hope they come out of it stronger.”
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