The 2023 AFCON tournament is officially in its knockout stages, with sixteen teams ready to battle it out. A loss at this point means there are no makeups and the end of the tournament for the countries involved.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon tomorrow, and Soccernet.ng looks into five Cameroon players Jose Peseiro’s men should watch out for as they possess the ability to hurt the team.
1. Vincent Aboubakar
The former Porto manager was said to be ruled out of the AFCON 2023 tournament with a hamstring injury but was included in Rigobert Song’s squad anyway. With the clash against Nigeria on the cusp, the Besiktas man is back to full fitness, and should he feature, the AFCON 2021 top goalscorer will look to add to his tally of 37 goals for Cameroon.
2. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa
A crucial part of the Napoli team that won the Scudetto for the first time in over three decades, Anguissa’s presence in the midfield poses a threat to the Super Eagles. He is press-resistant and almost impossible to wrestle off the ball. He completed 100% of his dribbles in Cameroon’s 3-2 win over Gambia which secured their round of sixteen spot.
3. Georges–Kévin Nkoudou
The versatile Damac winger has scored fourteen goals and created another four in fifteen starts in the Saudi Pro League. He came up trumps in Cameroon’s win over Gambia with two assists. The former Tottenham Hotspur winger plays primarily on the left flank and will be a figure of worry for Ola Aina.
4. Frank Magri
Magri stepped in to cover for the injured Aboubakar and scored in Cameroon’s 1-1 draw against Guinea, and the Toulouse has scored four goals in the French Ligue this term. Primed to start, his pace and trickery will be something of a worry for the Nigerian central defenders all game.
5. Karl Toko Ekambi
Ekambi plies his trade as a striker in the Saudi Pro League but has been played out wide at the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast. The former Lyon man broke the deadlock in Cameroon’s clash against Gambia and will have eyes on another when they take on Nigeria tomorrow evening at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
