He was everywhere and he was appreciated.
For a tireless performance, Victor Osimhen’s name was chanted by Nigeria fans as the Super Eagles progressed to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations by beating old rival Cameroon 2-0 on Saturday.
Ademola Lookman scored both goals, the first created by Osimhen, and the second set up by Calvin Bassey after a free kick in the last minute.
“We’re into the quarterfinals and we’ve worked so hard to be there,” Lookman said. “We’re behind each other and we don’t take anything for granted. And I think it shows in our work ethic, how we fight for each other, how we defend, how we attack. So that’s the way we celebrate.”
No one illustrated that work ethic better than Osimhen. He attacked and harried the Cameroon defenders and helped in defense on the few occasions it was needed.
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“Osimhen! Osimhen! Osimhen!” rang around Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium after the Napoli star won the ball off defender Oumar Gonzalez after a Cameroon throw-in and set up Lookman in the 36th. The ball squirmed inside the right post despite Gonzalez’s attempt to keep it out.
At one stage in the second half, after Osimhen battled lone defender Gonzalez for the ball near the sideline and it went out of play, he lifted his arms to encourage the fans and they responded by chanting his name again.
“It’s not easy to stop that guy,” Nigeria coach José Paseiro said. “It’s fantastic for a team with very good players, when one good striker can defend like an attack. Sometimes you need to put the ball in, and he’ll win the ball, against two or three, and wait for our team to arrive. OK, no one can win a match alone ... it’s not easy choosing my team, but it’s my life.”
Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali went off on a stretcher in the 80th after a reckless challenge from Georges-Kévin Nkoudo, who was booked. Nwabali, who covered his face, was replaced by Francis Uzoho.
Nwabali had had little to do in contrast to his counterpart, Fabrice Ondoa, who was by far the busier goalkeeper. Ondoa was preferred in goal by Cameroon coach Rigobert Song, who again left Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana on the bench.
Song sent Cameroon hero Vincent Aboubakar on for the last quarter-hour but it was Lookman, instead, who sealed the result at the other end.
Aboubakar, who scored the winning goal in the 2017 final and was the top-scorer in the last edition with eight goals, missed Cameroon’s opening three games with a thigh injury.
Nigeria will next play Angola.
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