Nigeria/Cameroon: The ghost of 'injustices' past

These neighbours have enjoyed a long rivalry, often at the very threshold of glory and in very controversial circumstances

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COMMENT    By Adesanya Olusesan     Follow on Twitter
 

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The history between Nigeria and Cameroon is a long one, and the spoils have been almost exclusively gone to the Indomitable Lions down the years. That said, the footballing trajectory of both teams is very similar: both registered on the continental map in the 80s, and then on the global consciousness in the 90s, before waning in the mid-noughties.

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In that sense, like true neighbours, both countries have dogged each other’s steps, trailing a dark slick of envy.
Nigerians will always remember Henry Nwosu’s headed goal in the final of the 1988 Afcon, inexplicably ruled out by Mauritanian referee Idrissa Sarr. The sense of injustice is also heightened by Victor Ikpeba’s ghost-goal penalty in a shoot-out at the same stage 12 years later, this time inside the Mainbowl of the National Stadium in Lagos, perceived as close enough to a stick-up job.
The Central African side trail in one-on-one encounters, but not in general footballing achievements: four Afcons to Nigeria’s two, a World Cup quarter-final to Nigeria’s second round ceiling, and having seen Nigeria become the first African side to win Olympic Gold in 1996, they promptly replicated the feat four years later. They have generally won the important ones.
Clearly, while the rivalry with Ghana is older and more culturally resonant, it is with Cameroon that Nigeria have had a bigger axe to grind in the last 30 years. Neither side is what they once were though; the Indomitable Lions have talent littered throughout the squad, but lack maturity and, in Volker Finke, they have a coach who has perhaps lingered too long.

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Porto’s Vincent Aboubakar leads the line, and while not yet the finished article, is amazingly varied in his play. An inventive, pacy dribbler with an ability to strike from distance and offer lethal marksmanship, he will be a handful for the Super Eagles in Brussels. Backed up by Tottenham Hotspur’s Clinton N’Jie, they form the sort of mobile, powerful partnership with which DR Congo troubled Nigeria on Thursday in Vise.
Coach Sunday Oliseh lamented the team’s defensive frailties in the aftermath of that 2-0 loss, and would be very brave to stick with the pair of Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong, especially with the availability of Celtic defender Efe Ambrose. Balogun, quite ironically, looked the better of the pairing three days, a damning fact considering he is naturally a full-back. However, one suspects it is he who will make way if Ambrose is to return to the heart of the defence, as Troost-Ekong continues his crash-course in international football.
This is the final warm-up before Nigeria kicks off qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in November with a two-legged play-off against Swaziland; as such, the significance of the match cannot be overstated.

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Sihlangu Semnikati, as they are known, have for all intents and purposes made it through, after demolishing Djibouti 6-0 away on Friday. There was a time when this sort of fixture could be sniffed at, but upsets are a matter of course now in African football.
In any case, the lack of cohesion in the Super Eagles attack since Oliseh came on board has to be addressed quickly, and there must be seen to be the beginnings of an understanding against Cameroon. The longer the tie against Swaziland goes on, the more confidence the small, land-locked Southern African nation will assume, and the greater the potential for a fluky occurrence to decide the outcome.
The Super Eagles have only managed one goal from open play in the past three games. The opponents: Tanzania, Niger and DR Congo.
None of these teams are ranked in CAF’s top 10. The era of complacency must be over, once and for good.
Oliseh’s last confrontation with Cameroon ended in frustration and anguish; it would be almost poetic if his experiment explodes into life today. It would almost bring a tear to the eye.