When Nigeria file out out against Cameroon in a friendly international on June 4th, the Super Eagles will be hoping to defend a very impressive head-to-head record against the Indomitable Lions in their 24th game in all competitions.
Cameroon won three of their five AFCON titles at Nigeria’s expense but have only one other victory, a World Cup qualifying game in 1989, to make it only four times that they have emerged victorious in their previous 23 games against Nigeria.
On the other hand, Nigeria have won five and drawn one of their last six meetings since losing the 2000 AFCON finals on penalties to their rivals.
Stretched further, Nigeria have not lost in regulation time to Cameroon in almost 32 years.
At their most recent meeting, a quarter-final game at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, the Super Eagles won a thrilling game 3-2 with goals from Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi. Before that, two years earlier, Nigeria also prevailed in a two-legged World Cup qualifying fixture, following up a resounding 4-0 win in Uyo with a 1-1 draw in Yaounde four days later.
While Nigeria is on a current run of six unbeaten games, the Super Eagles also endured a five-game winless streak from spanning 10 years from 1978 to ’88 during which Cameroon won two and drew three games.
Nigeria and Cameroon first engaged in an international match for the first time in April 1960 which ended 0-0. The Green Eagles then remained unbeaten in their next eight games until they met in the final of the 1984 AFCON in Ivory Coast, a game Cameroon won 3-1 and repeated the feat four years later in Morocco, this time winning the title 1-0 from a disputed penalty.
However, the most painful defeat Nigeria suffered in the hands of Cameroon was yet another AFCON final, the year 2000 edition which the Lions won on penalty shootout on front of the Super Eagles home fans at the National Stadium in Lagos.
In context, the Super Eagles have won 52percent and drawn 30 percent of their games with Cameroon, losing just 17 percent. Nigeria have also scored 43 goals and conceded 19 to their rivals.
It is this intimidating pedigree that will be at stake on June 4 in Austria with the hope of extending it.
