| ACTUALITE |
08.02.2004
Clockwatch: Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
1452: The referee blows for full time and Nigeria are through to the semi-finals of the Nations Cup. Cameroon`s bid to become the first team to win the tournament three times in succession is over, and the Super Eagles have finally overcome the Indomitable Lions when it counts. The defeat is Cameroon`s first in the finals for four years: the last time they lost a game in the Nations Cup was in January 2000 when the Indomitable Lions lost a group match against Togo.
1451: Ndiefi knocks the ball across the face of goal from the right-hand side of the penalty area, but the ball goes behind for a goal kick and it seems that Cameroon are on their way out.
1450: Cameroon pack the Nigerian area but fail to get a shot on target following a good move.
1448: The fourth official signals four minute of stoppage time at the end of the match.
1447: Ndiefi misses a good opportunity for Cameroon as he lifts the ball over the crossbar from a tight angle just six yards from goal with Enyeama stranded. Ndiefi`s team-mates look annoyed that the substitute chose not to cross the ball into the 6-yard box where two of them were waiting to pounce.
1446: Pius Ikedia replaces Odemwingie as Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu makes his first change late in the match.
1445: Enyeama makes a fantastic save to deny Ndiefi as the substitute pounces on uncertainty in the Nigerian penalty area and toe-pokes an effort at goal. The chance followed neat build-up from Cameroon, yet
1443: Odemwingie slices his clearance behind for another Cameroon corner. Geremi runs across to take the kick, which travels through to Enyeama but when he drops the ball under a challenge from Idrissou the referee awards a free-kick to Nigeria.
1443: Cameroon win another corner as they search for an equaliser.
1442: Ndiefi shows good power to retain possession in the penalty area and force a save from Enyeama. From the resulting corner, Idrissou heads tamely at the Nigerian goal.
1440: Okocha sets Kanu free down the right flank and the lanky forward returns the ball to the Super Eagles captain as he drifts into the box. Yet Okocha can`t keep his volley down and blazes Kanu`s cross high over the bar from fifteen yards out when unmarked.
1438: Odemwingie is felled just outside the corner of the Cameroon penalty area, and Okocha bends his free-kick into the side netting.
1435: Schaefer takes off his top scorer Patrick Mboma and replaces him with Pius Ndiefi as the German coach looks for the goal that the defending champions need if they are to stay in the tournament.
1434: Olofinjana blazes a shot high and wide from 30 yards.
1432: Eto`o has the whole goal to aim at from 6 yards out but he fails to connect with Geremi`s corner as the ball travels all the way to the Real Mallorca striker as he ghosts into the centre of the 6-yard box. A wonderful opportunity for Cameroon to force a quick equaliser.
1430: GOAL Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
John Utaka gives Nigeria the lead after the Cameroon defence goes absent and the forward has a free run at goal following Kanu`s measured pass from inside his own half. As Utaka is chased into the box by two defenders, he slips his low shot past Kameni and into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal off the post.
1427: Enyeama saves his defence after Udeze misses a tackle and Eto`o drives at goal from thirty yards out. The striker tries to hit the ball between Enyeama`s legs ten yards from goal but the Nigerian keeper blocks well as he deflects the ball behind for a corner.
1427: Play is held up as George Abbey receives treatment.
1425: Doumbe is booked for a high challenge on Udeze.
1422: Song times a challenge in the penalty area brilliantly as he stops John Utaka from registering a shot on goal as the Nigerian forward drove into the box.
1419: Cameroon manager Winfried Schaefer makes the first change of the match as be brings on Mohamadou Idrissou for Bill Tchato.
1416: The corner is cleared but Cameroon are soon on the attack again. Song fires into the side netting from ten yards with his left foot following Geremi`s low pass that played the centre-back in.
1415: Cameroon win a corner at the other end.
1414: Kanu guides Okocha`s corner towards the Cameroon goal with a little flick but Kameni saves well as he gets both hands to the ball while diving to his right.
1413: Nigeria win their first corner of the half.
1410: Rigobert Song is lucky not to concede a penalty as he gets the faintest of touches in the penalty area while dispossessing Odemwingie as the Nigerian forward goes for goal. Even though Odemwingie was brought down, the referee clearly didn`t see Song`s touch as he awards a goal kick so in theory the Moroccan official could have awarded a penalty.
1408: Cameroon try to work an opening down the right flank but the Nigeria centre-halves clear three crosses in succession and the ball is eventually cleared.
1407: Play is held up as Kanu receives treatment on the pitch.
1402: Nigeria kick off the second half.
1348: The referee blows for half-time with the game perfectly poised for an enthralling second half.
1347: GOAL Cameroon 1-1 Nigeria
Okocha shows Geremi how it`s done, as he flights a beautiful free-kick over the wall and into the left-hand side of the net with Kameni well-beaten.
1347: Nigeria win a free-kick in a position similar to Geremi`s minutes earlier.
1346: Seconds after the fourth official signals two minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half, Geremi strikes his free-kick on target but Enyeama gets down well low to his right to stop the ball.
1344: Cameroon win a free-kick just outside the D of Nigeria`s penalty area. The range is perfect for Geremi but the midfielder hits his free-kick into the wall. Okoronkwo is booked as he chased the ball down, presumably for moving before the kick was taken.
1341: GOAL Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
A long ball over the top catches the Nigerian defence unaware and Samuel Eto`o pounces to steer the ball past Enyeama for his first goal of the 2004 Cup of Nations. Eto`o outpaced Nigerian defender Isaac Okoronkwo as the Indomitable Lions staged a classic counter-attack.
1340: Nigeria win a corner, from which Yobo fires over the bar from the edge of the penalty area with his weaker left foot after Odemwingie plays him in.
1339: Good build-up from Cameroon comes to nothing as Mboma is adjudged to have fouled his marked in the penalty area as he tries to meet Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe`s cross. The game is very evenly balanced, with both teams looking as though they might force an opening.
1336: Okocha sets Lawal free down the left and his long ball across the edge of the Cameroon penalty area finds George Abbey moving forward, but the right-back`s 25 yard drive flies over the bar when he had a free sight of goal.
1335: A neat flick from Okocha in the Nigeria midfield brings a roar of approval from the Monastir crowd.
1333: Mbami is booked for Cameroon after he brings down Odemwingie as the Nigeria striker breaks away down the left flank.
1333: Cameroon win a corner, but fail to test Enyeama in the Nigeria goal again.
1331: Utake breaks free down the right but overhits his cross and the danger to the Cameroon defence disappears.
1329: Olofinjana rises to meet the corner but fails to keep his header down and on target, and the ball goes behind for a goal kick.
1328: Cameroon skipper Rigobert Song gifts possession to Osaze Odemwingie on the edge of the Indomitable Lions area and the defender scrambles back to put the ball behind for Nigeria`s second corner of the match just as it seems Odemwingie might break free.
1326: The game, which is being played in excellent conditions and against a non-stop background of trumpets and drums, enters a quieter period as both teams also settle into their rhythms.
1321: Okocha hits a sweet rising strike from 25 yards that Kameni does well to save, diving to his right as he turns the ball behind for Nigeria`s first corner of the game. The corner goes straight to Kameni, who holds well under pressure.
1320: Play instantly goes back up the other end, where Cameroon win their fourth corner of the match - as opposed to Nigeria`s none.
1319: Utaka wriggles free in the Cameroon area, but as he cuts inside he hits his low left-footed shot straight at Kameni.
1317: Cameroon win their third corner of the match. Geremi swings in a cross but, once again, fails to keep his delivery away from Enyeama.
1316: Nigeria`s Nwankwo Kanu sets up John Utaka just inside the Cameroon penalty area but his shot is immediately blocked. As the ball breaks free from the follow up, Okocha hits a gentle volley at Kameni from the edge of the box.
1314: Okocha fires in a snapshot from 25 yards that Kameni gets down low to his right to hold. The match between the two neighbours and keen rivals has started brightly.
1313: Cameroon`s Patrick Mboma just manages to connect with a free-kick from Geremi, but fails to get his foot around the ball to divert his attempt on goal.
1311: Udeze fires in Nigeria`s first shot of the match from distance but his effort goes comfortably wide of the left-hand post of Cameroon keeper Idriss Kameni. Seconds earlier, Kameni had done well to fist away a searching cross from Nigeria`s right flank by Super Eagles captain Jay-Jay Okocha.
1310: Cameroon, who have taken the field wearing their controversial one-piece kit despite Fifa`s protests, hit their second corner of the game straight at Enyeama.
1308: Cameroon striker Samuel Eto`o dispossesses Ifeanyi Udeze and attempts to chip Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama from thirty yards but his effort is poor and way off target.
1307: Nigerian midfielder Seyi Olofinjana is shown the yellow card for his clumsy tackle on Modeste Mbami just a few yards inside the Super Eagles` own half.
1304: Cameroon win their first corner of the match after Nigerian defender Ifeanyi Udeze does well to dispossess Geremi down Cameroon`s right-hand flank.
1302: Geremi curls his free-kick over both the wall and the crossbar.
1301: Cameroon win a free-kick just a yard outside the Nigerian penalty area.
1300: Cameroon get the third Cup of Nations quarter-final underway in Monastir.
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Team news
Cameroon make one change to the team that drew 0-0 with Egypt in their final Group C game.
Left-back Bill Tchato returns after serving a one-match suspension and goes straight back into the Indomitable Lions` defence.
Timothee Atouba is thus pushed into midfield at the expense of Jean Makoun, who drops out of the side.
Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu also makes only change to his line-up.
Julius Aghahowa has not fully recovered from the thigh injury he sustained in the final Group D game against Benin, and will start on the bench for the first time this tournament.
So Osaze Odemwingie, who scored twice in the group match against South Africa having come on as a substitute, gets his first start of Tunisia 2004.
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Cameroon: 1-Idriss Carlos Kameni; 2-Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe, 3-Bill Tchato, 4-Rigobert Song, 13-Lucien Mettomo; 5-Timothee Atouba, 7-Modeste Mbami, 8-Geremi Fotso Njitap, 19-Eric Djemba Djemba; 9-Samuel Eto`o, 10-Patrick Mboma
Nigeria: 1-Vincent Enyeama; 2-Joseph Yobo, 5-Isaac Okoronkwo, 15-George Abbey, 16-Ifeanyi Udeze; 4-Nwankwo Kanu, 10-Jay-Jay Okocha, 11-Garba Lawal, 14-Seyi Olofinjana; 7-John Utaka, 20-Osaze Odemwingie
Referee: Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco).
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