The knockout stages of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations kick off today with the round of 16 fixtures as Angola takes on Namibia while Nigeria renews its rivalry with Cameroon. Needless to say, the eyes of the continent and the entire football world will be on the latter considering the history between both teams. The clash will take place at the iconic Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, an arena that holds fond memories for Cameroon, who secured their first Africa Cup of Nations title on the same ground with a 3-1 victory over Nigeria.
The rivalry between both nations means the stakes are incredibly high for this contest as both sides pursue their title ambitions. Cameroon has conquered the continent five times as against Nigeria’s three, with the Super Eagles losing three finals to the Indomitable Lions in 1984, 1988, and 2000. The clash between both sides will be the 25th across all competitions with Nigeria having a better head-to-head record. The last time both sides met at AFCON was in 2019 at this same stage, with the Super Eagles knocking out the then-defending champions by 3 goals to 2. Bragging rights, revenge, and a quarterfinal spot will be on the line when both sides take to the field.
The manner of progression of both sides into the knockout stages leaves so much to be desired as the Indomitable Lions sealed qualification at the dying minutes of the last group game against Cape Verde while the Super Eagles of Nigeria struggled for goals to finish behind Equatorial Guinea. The team’s profligacy in front of goal is ironically down to their most potent arsenal – Victor Osimhen. The continent’s highest goalscorer during qualifying has uncharacteristically spurned several decent chances one would expect him to convert. The African Footballer of the Year has 13 attempts at goal thus far, with a solitary strike to his name, an awful stat for the Napoli man. His performances thus far cast him in the shadow of Nigeria’s highest goalscorer, the legendary Rashidi Yekini.
The late Rashidi Yekini left a formidable legacy on Nigerian football with his long-standing record of 37 goals in 62 matches. The former Abiola Babes forward emerged the highest goalscorer at the 1992 and 1994 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, with his goalscoring heroics guiding Nigeria to the 1994 AFCON title. Yekini’s goalscoring heroics and overall performance made him the first Nigerian ever to win the coveted African Footballer of the Year award in 1993 following an impressive 30-goal haul in the 1992/1993 season with his clubside, Vitoria Setubal. The Nigerian striker also netted the nation’s first ever FIFA World Cup goal in the 3-0 win over Bulgaria – Yekini’s goal celebration of holding the goal’s net while crying has become one of the iconic images of the FIFA World Cup and world football in general.
Victor Osimhen is Nigeria’s third-highest goalscorer behind the legendary duo of Rashidi Yekini and Segun Odegbami. While the 25-year-old is yet to emerge as the highest goalscorer of the Africa Cup of Nations, he was the highest goalscorer of the qualifying series for this year’s edition. Osimhen is the first African footballer to win the Italian Serie A’s highest goalscorer award, scoring 26 goals to guide Napoli to a first title in 33 years. He is also the first Nigerian to be named the eighth-best male footballer in the world (Ballon d’Or).
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is Victor Osimhen’s second appearance at the tournament and his first as the team’s main attacking goal threat. The Napoli striker is widely regarded as Yekini’s successor and he will need to live up to the expectations of that tag by being more clinical in front of goal. Osimhen’s 13 attempts at goal across three games depict his ability to make the right runs and get in decent positions, the only concern is his profligacy which has cost him several goals to his name. With just a goal to his name, Osimhen will have to be as clinical as Yekini was for Nigeria in the big competitions – AFCON and FIFA World Cup – to reinforce his status as Africa’s best striker and player and one of the best in the world.
If the Super Eagles are to continue on their title quest dubbed #LetsDoItAgain, it will demand their talisman and superstar, Victor Osimhen come out of Rashidi Yekini’s shadows to embrace the continent’s biggest stage as Africa’s best player in writing his own Africa Cup of Nations history and cementing his legacy in Nigerian football.
