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Indomitable Lions roar Cameroon tops Nigeria on penalties for Nations Cup
Posted: Sunday February 13, 2000 03:47 PM
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Cameroon was crowned African champion in the most dramatic fashion on Sunday, beating Nigeria in a nerve-jangling penalty shootout after the Super Eagles had fought back to secure a 2-2 draw in regulation time. The Indomitable Lions, which beat Nigeria in the African Cup finals of 1984 and 1988, secured a third continental crown with what proved to be a controversial 4-3 win on penalties. TV replays suggested that Victor Ikpeba's kick bounced over the line after crashing against the underside of the crossbar, but Tunisian referee Mourad Daami awarded a goal. Ikpeba was the second Nigerian to miss after Nwankwo Kanu, who fell to the ground with his head in his hands after missing his spot kick. Marc-Vivien Foe then hit wide for the Cameroon, but captain Rigobert Song held his nerve to score. "All credit to the players because they could have easily lost faith after Nigeria made it 2-2," said Cameroon coach Pierre Lechantre. "But they came out fighting and showed how determined they were to win this cup." Cameroon's triumph was deserved after it had dominated the hosts during regulation play. The Super Eagles seemed down and out when strikers Samuel Eto'o and Patrick Mboma put the visitors 2-0 ahead. Oto'o silenced the fiery home fans with a superbly-taken goal in the 27th minute. The Real Madrid teenager controlled a sharp free kick, before turning Furo Iyenemi and firing a shot into the far corner. Cameroon quickly doubled the lead when Nigerian goalkeeper Ike Sharunmu let a shot from Mboma squirm through his legs. But not for the first time in the tournament, Cameroon spurned several good chances to wrap up victory, notably when Oto'o hit a shot against the legs of a defender after Sharunmu stumbled outside his penalty area. Mboma saw a 41st-minute header strike a post before Nigeria got a desperately-needed goal from Chukwu Ndukwe, who made the most of poor Cameroon marking to score from close range. Jay-Jay Okocha marked his return after a one-match suspension with a stunning 25-yard shot to make it 2-2 in the 47th minute to send the 40,000 fans at the Surulere Stadium into raptures. But the Indomitable Lions responded superbly. Cameroon's giant back four proved too solid for Nigeria's strikers and with Laurent Mayer and Foe outstanding, the home midfield looked sloppy. Eto'o continued to get the better of Nigeria's defense and was unlucky to see a 51st-minute shot bounce back off a post. "It was draining, really dramatic, right to the end," said Liverpool defender Song in the middle of Cameroon's jubilant celebration. "We have again climbed to the top in Africa. Cameroon is back." Tempers soon flared on the field and the public address system even appealed to the players for calm. Nigeria, unbeaten at home for 19 years, was defending an 11-match unbeaten African Nations Cup run that stretched back to 1992.
African champion in 1994, the Super Eagles withdrew before the 1996 tournament because of a political dispute with host country South Africa and were subsequently suspended from the 1998 event. The home team took the game to Cameroon in extra time, with semifinal hero Tijani Babangida and Ikpeba both coming close to scoring as penalties loomed. The Super Eagles' march to the final magnetized Nigeria and dominated the front pages of the country's weekend newspapers, which all urged the Super Eagles to beat Cameroon and avenge Nigeria's African Cup defeats of the 1980s. Upon being presented the second-place trophy, Nigerian captain Sunday Oliseh burst into tears. Hours before the match, thousands of fans decked in green and white danced on cars and buses in the streets around the Surulere Stadium. At times, police struggled to keep control, using whips and sticks to disperse supporters seeking to enter the ground without tickets. After the game, police used teargas to clear crowds blocking stadium exits. Lineups: Nigeria: Ike Sharunmu; Celestine Babayaro, Godwin Okpara, Furo Iyenemi, Taribo West; Finidi George (Tijani Babangida, 68th), Jay-Jay Okocha, Mutiu Adepoju (Victor Ikpeba, 96th), Sunday Oliseh; Nwankwo Kanu, Chukwu Ndukwe (Julius Aghahowa, 105th). Cameroon: Boukar Alioum; Pierre Djanka, Salomon Olembe, Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla (Lucien Mettomo, 93rd); Marc-Vivien Foe, Pierre Wome, Geremi Njitap, Laurent Mayer; Samue Eto'o (Joseph-Desire Job, 71st), Patrick Mboma.
African Nations Cup final
Scorers:
Nigeria - Raphael Chukwu 45, Austin Okocha 47
Cameroon - Samuel Eto'o 26, Patrick Mboma 31
Halftime: 1-2; Attendance: 60,000
Reuters contributed to this report.
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