2018 World Cup qualifier: Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon - As it happened

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Sep 01, 2017. 19:56

Welcome to the as-it-happened coverage of the 2018 World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Cameroon from the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Commentary:
All times CAT

90+4' - Full time - What a magnificent win for Nigeria! The Super Eagles are surely destined to qualify for Russia 2018. Cameroon were completely outplayed and will need to make a massive improvement for the rematch in Yaounde on Monday evening.

90+1' - There will be three minutes of added time.

89' - Great defending from Teikeu as he makes a superb tackle to prevent Iheanacho making it 5-0...

86' - A half-chance for Cameroon as Ngadeu-Ngadjui pokes the ball over the crossbar from the middle of a crowd of bodies.

85' - Substitution - Cameroon's final change sees Bassogog make way for Fabrice Olinga.

82' - Substitution - The superb Moses makes way for Ahmed Musa in Nigeria's final change.

76' - GOAL! Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon - Iheanacho gets his name on the score sheet, easily heading home into an empty net after superb work out wide from Moses and Onazi! This is turning into an absolute rout!

72' - Cameroon's Siani tries a hopelessly ambitious long-range effort and sends it into the stands. That's what the 2017 AFCON champions have been reduced to...

68' - Substitution - Nigeria skipper Mikel makes way for Ndubisi Agu in the Super Eagles' second change.

67' - Moses tries a cheeky chip, but his effort is just over the crossbar.

65' - Iheanacho looks to add his name to the score sheet, but he's pulled up for a free kick after tripping up Teikeu.

61' - Substitution - Nigeria's first change sees the excellent Ighalo (who seems to have picked up some cramp) replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho.

59' - Substitution - Cameroon make another change as Choupo-Moting succumbs to injury and is replaced by Arnaud Djoum.

57' - Compared to the defeat at home to South Africa in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers back in June, this is a massive improvement from Nigeria. Chalk and cheese.

55' - GOAL! Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon - Champagne football from Nigeria! A corner kick for Cameroon ends with Nigeria breaking away, Moses tees up Simon, he plays the pass back to the winger, who fires home a low shot to make it 3-0! Magnificent from the Super Eagles!

53' - Moses with a chance to whip in a free kick, but his radar isn't quite on target this time - goal kick to Cameroon.

51' - Cameroon have looked full of intention early in this half, but it was the same story at the start of the game and they were outplayed once Nigeria went up a gear or two.

48' - Brave goalkeeping from Ezenwa as he beats Aboubakar to a 50-50 ball chipped into the box. A few seconds later and he makes a sharp save low to his left to keep out an effort from Anguissa.

46' - Substitution - Back underway in the second half. Cameroon have made a change by introducing Eric Choupo-Moting for Ngamaleu.

45+2' - Half time - We've reached the halfway point of the match and it's Nigeria who are very much in charge! Cameroon started the stronger of the two teams, but once Nigeria settled it was one-way traffic and they are deservedly two goals ahead.

43' - GOAL! Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon - A second goal looked to be on the way and Nigeria have it through Mikel! Moses whips in a corner kick and the captain gets ahead of his marker to toe-poke the ball home from close range!

42' - Teikeu makes a vital interception to cut out Moses' cross, which would have given Ighalo a virtual tap-in!

41' - Closing on on half time, the Super Eagles will be delighted with their work so far.

39' - Ngadeu-Ngadjui collides with Ighalo in an aerial battle - the defender needs to be careful, he's already on a yellow card.

36' - Moses sets up Simon with a one-on-one chance, but his goal-bound effort is brilliantly saved by Ondoa! Super one-handed stop from the Indomitable Lions guard, that should have been 2-0!

34' - Safe hands from Ezenwa, he's been impressive so far. Nigeria have had something of a headache over their goalkeeping options but the 28-year-old is making a strong claim to be number one in this game.

30' - Yellow card - Ighalo is cautioned for showing a slogan on his undershirt in the goal celebration.

29' - GOAL! Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon - Ighalo with a great goal to put the Super Eagles ahead! The striker outmuscles Ngadeu-Ngadjui in a battle for  a long ball, cuts inside the defender and puts a low, left-footed shot past the left hand of goalkeeper Ondoa!

28' - Simon with a great cross from the right, Moses gets up at the back post but his looping header is over the crossbar!

26' - Yellow card - Another caution for a foul on Ighalo - this time it's Teikeu who goes into the book.

24' - Moses puts in a wicked free kick and it finds its way into the back of the net! But Nigeria's celebrations are cut short as the offside flag is up! No goal.

23' - Yellow card - Cameroon's Ngadeu-Ngadjui is the first into the book after hauling down Ighalo to give away a free kick a few metres outside the box.

22' - Midway through the first half, still goalless between Nigeria and Cameroon in Uyo.

19' - Mikel squares the ball for Moses, but the Chelsea man slices his shot high and wide from the edge of the box.

18' - A strong, high press from Cameroon - they're really making it tough for the hosts to play out of their own half.

15' - Nigeria's first threat on goal comes from a Moses free kick whipped into the danger area, but Cameroon defend well.

14' - Bassogog with a powerful run forward but he's soon crowded out. Cameroon are bossing the game so far.

11' - Corner kick to Cameroon: Moukandjo crosses, Ngadeu-Ngadjui gets a flick-on, but Ezenwa collects confidently.

9' - The Cameroon skipper plays a ball into the box from the set piece, but it's a free kick to Nigeria for a foul.

8' - Cameroon with a free kick in a useful attacking position. Moukandjo stands over ball...

5' - Both teams just looking to settle into the match. Here's Ngamaleu with a half chance as he stabs a volley goal-ward, but it's no threat to Ezenwa.

2' - Balogun almost leaves a back-header short, with Aboubakar threatening to nick it away from Ezenwa, but the goalkeeper gets there just in time.

1' - Kick-off - We are underway in Uyo! Nigeria wear their home strip of green with white trim, while Cameroon are in a change strip of yellow and red.

17h50 - Ten minutes to kick-off. The referee for today's is Gehad Grisha from Egypt. He will be assisted by Redouane Acik and Elmoiz Ali Mohamed Ahmed, while the fourth referee is Mahmoud Zakaria Mohamed.

17h40 - A reminder of where we stand in Group B: Nigeria have  a full haul of six points after beating both Zambia and Algeria, while Cameroon trail by four points after drawing both of their games 1-1 against the same opponents. So a win for the Super Eagles will see them take full control of the group and put them within touching distance of the Russia 2018 finals.

17h30 - We're half an hour from kick-off, here are the starting XIs ahead of the match:

Nigeria: Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Shehu Abdullahi, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Elderson Echiejile, John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Ogenyi Onazi, Moses Simon, Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo

Cameroon: Fabrice Ondoa, Collins Fai, Adolphe Teikeu, Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Serge Leuko, Sebastian Siani, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Christian Bassogog, Moumi Ngamaleu, Benjamin Moukandjo, Vincent Aboubakar