Super Eagles set for redemption battle against Indomitable Lions

Cameroon and Nigeria will trade tackles again in the second fixture of their double-header international friendly  in Austria on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles were piped 1-0 at the same venue on Friday, courtesy of Andre Nguissa’s first-half strike as Gernot Rohr’s men failed to make the most chances created.

Prior to that defeat, Nigeria had consecutive victories in the March international window. Paul Onuachu helped the Super Eagles register a 1-0 victory away to the Benin Republic. The Genk forward was also on the score-sheet as the West Africans thumped Lesotho 3-0 on home turf.

Cameroon also topped their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group, although their presence at the tournament was already guaranteed by virtue of their position as hosts.

The game will serve as a preparatory fixture for the resumption of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September, as well as the 2021 AFCON tournament slated for January 2022.

The two sides have clashed on 24 occasions in the past and Nigeria have an overwhelmingly better record. The West African giants have 12 wins to their name, while their Central African rivals were victorious on five occasions. The two teams have shared the spoils seven times.

With the absence of injured deputy Captain William Troost-Ekong from Tuesday’s encounter; it puts the three-time African champions in an extremely dicey situation in their quest for redemption.

Several key players pulled out of the squad before the first fixture, including Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina and Simy Nwanko. Rangers duo Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun were also excluded from the squad, while Samuel Chukwueze is still recuperating from his injury.

A host of players failed to perform in last Friday’s game, including Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheancho. This could lead to Gernot Rohr handing opportunities to other players.