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  Nigeria send champions Cameroon crashing out


Nigeria ended Cameroon's four-year reign as African champions on Sunday when they won 2-1 here to reach the semi-finals of the African Nations Cup.
They fought back from a goal down against the four-time champions to book a last four date with hosts Tunisia on Wednesday.
Cameroon took the lead after 41 minutes through Samuel Eto'o but the Super Eagles came back into the game four minutes later courtesy of skipper Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha's beautifully taken free kick on the edge of the box.
John Utaka finally won the game for Nigeria when he ran at the opposing defence before coolly slotting the ball past a diving Idris Kameni in the 73rd minute.
It was sweet revenge for the Nigerians who have been denied three times by Cameroon in the final of the Nations Cup, in 1984, 1988 and 2000.
Cameroon had started the game on the attack with Eto'o on the prowl for an early goal as Nigeria did well to contain them and soon began to launch their own attacks.
Nwankwo Kanu, Osaze Odewingie and Utaka all gave the suspect Cameroon backline something to worry about as the game picked up pace.
Cameroon took the lead after 41 minutes through Eto'o.
The Real Mallorca striker got to the end of a Geremi centre from the right which had evaded Isaac Okoronkwo, before he coolly slotted the ball past Vincent Enyeama in the Nigerian goal.
Eto'o had promised he would break his scoring drought in this game but his joy did not last long.
Nigeria responded just four minutes later to drew level on the dot of 45 minutes.
Utaka had been brought down on the edge of the box and Okocha scored with a superb free kick which was curled around the Cameroon wall and into the top corner of the net.
Okocha had earlier given warning he was dangerous from that distance when he conjured a beauty of a shot on 21 minutes which was acrobatically parried for a corner by Kameni.
In the second half, both teams came out looking for the winner.
Kanu's flashing header forced a save from Kameni and at the other end of the pitch Enyeama did well to bravely save at the feet of a goal-bound Eto'o on 70 minutes.
But almost immediately Utaka ran at the Cameroon goal to score Nigeria's second and winning goal on 72 minutes as a gaping hole appeared in the Indomitable Lions defence.
Eto'o then failed to connect on a corner and as the game wore on sub Pius Ndefi missed an easy chance right inside the Nigerian box to level the scores.

AFP


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