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Onana: Cameroon Knockout at the AFCON

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Onana

Andre Onana’s participation at the Africa Cup of Nations has drawn to a close after Cameroon suffered a 2-0 defeat against Nigeria in the last 16.

Our no.24 was an unused substitute at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, with his cousin Fabrice Ondoa selected in goal instead.

Ademola Lookman, formerly of both Everton and Leicester City, opened the scoring after 36 minutes played, latching onto a pass from Victor Osimhen to slam home his effort past Ondoa.

The game was put beyond the Indomitable Lions’ reach inside the final stages, with Fulham man Calvin Bassey’s low cross turned home by Lookman once more, securing progression for Jose Peseiro’s side.

Nigeria had the ball in the net during the opening stages in the Ivory Coast, with Semi Ajayi’s effort ruled out for offside, sparing Cameroon’s early blushes.

Frank Magri’s shot was the first chance Rigobert Song’s side had on goal with 20 minutes played, as the former’s volley sailed into the stands.

It was, however, the three-time AFCON champions who took the lead before the interval, with Osimhen initially showing great strength to hold off Oumar Gonzalez.

The Napoli forward played in Lookman with a neat pass and the 26-year-old made no mistake from close range, tucking home despite Ondoa’s best efforts.

As the second half began, Cameroon’s Georges-Kevin N’Koudou looked to threaten down the right flank, with his advances thwarted by the resilient Nigeria defence.

Lookman took aim from distance as he went in search of both his and his nation’s second goal of the game, but he couldn’t quite connect with his own drive.

But as we reached the final stages, the former RB Leipzig man made no mistake in securing Nigeria’s progression to the last eight, notching home from close range.

Bassey’s cross from the right was cleverly flicked home by the tricky forward, beating Ondoa for a second time across the 90 minutes.

It wasn’t to be for Cameroon and Onana on this occasion, as their AFCON hopes ended in this last-16 defeat, as they failed to reach the heights of their success back in 2017.

Our commiserations go to Andre and the Indomitable Lions.

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Arsenal: Richards gives verdict on Gyokeres, advises Arteta to replace Martinelli with Eze

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Ex-Manchester City player, Micah Richards, has given his verdict on Arsenal’s new signing, Viktor Gyokeres.

Richards also advised Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta to replace Gabriel Martinelli with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze in his Arsenal squad.

Recall thato Arsenal recently signed Gyokeres from Sporting CP for £64m.

Speaking about the Gunners’ summer transfer business on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards said: “How many times have we said Arsenal need a new striker? We said it every week last season.

“They’ve needed one for a while now and I still believe they need a left winger as well. They’ve been linked with [Eberechi] Eze haven’t they.

“I think [Gabriel] Martinelli can definitely do a job but he’s more of an impact player, great to have off the bench, so if they could get Eze that would be amazing.

“In terms of Gyokeres, I think it’s a very good signing but I still think there are question marks if he can do it at this level consistently.

“I’ve watched loads of videos of him and I think he’s really good with his movement, he’s a really clever striker.

“He’ll cause teams problems though and he’s exactly what Arsenal needed, for sure.”

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PHOTOS: Senegal beat Nigeria 1–0 in CHAN 2024 Group D opener

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Defending champions, Senegal, began their title defence at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Nigeria in a fiercely contested Group D clash at the Amaan Stadium, Zanzibar.

Super Eagles B player kick the ball in between two Senegalese players | CAF

The match, played at high intensity, delivered the drama expected of two of Africa’s most storied footballing nations.

The lone goal came in the 75th minute, when Moctar Koïté burst down the right flank on a swift counter-attack and delivered a pinpoint low cross into the box.

Christian Gomis arrived unmarked and calmly slotted home with his left foot to seal the win for Senegal.

Action from the Senegal vs Nigeria CHAN 2024 Group D Opener

Senegal, winners of the 2022 edition in Algeria, began the match composed but had to weather early Nigerian pressure.

Both teams had chances in a cagey first half: Sikiru Alimi tested Senegal’s goalkeeper Marc Diouf, while Daouda Ba and Koïté launched long-range efforts that troubled Nigeria’s defence.

Coach Éric Chelle of Nigeria remained optimistic after the match: “We’ll take each game as it comes,” he said, with matches against Congo and Sudan still to follow in the group.

Senegal’s coach Souleymane Diallo, who had dismissed suggestions of pressure before the match, reiterated his side’s ambition: “We’re not here to defend a trophy; we’re here to win a new one.”

Action from the Senegal vs Nigeria CHAN 2024 Group D Opener

This win extends Senegal’s unbeaten run against West African opponents at CHAN and marks their sixth 1–0 victory in the tournament’s history—further evidence of their trademark defensive solidity.

The tournament, which features players active only in their domestic leagues, opened with exactly the kind of tightly contested fixture expected from these regional heavyweights.

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Ex-Porto star Costa dies at 53

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A former FC Porto captain, Jorge Costa Photo Credit: X

A former FC Porto captain, Jorge Costa, has died aged 53 after a cardiac arrest at the team’s training ground, Porto announced on Tuesday, paying tribute to “a key figure in the club’s history”.

“The legendary FC Porto captain and current director of professional football, passed away this Tuesday following a cardiopulmonary arrest,” the club said in a statement.

The former Portuguese international defender collapsed on Tuesday morning at the club’s training ground.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he died shortly after arriving, according to local media.

Costa spent most of his playing career with the club, winning eight league titles and the Champions League in 2004 under Jose Mourinho. He played 50 times for the Portuguese national team.

He belongs to the golden generation of Portuguese players who won the 1991 Under-20 World Cup, alongside Luis Figo.

“It’s a shock,” Prime Minister Luis Montenegro wrote on social media, hailing Costa as “an example of dedication and commitment”.

Porto’s rivals Benfica and Sporting Lisbon also paid tribute.

“Portuguese football is poorer,” Benfica said in a statement, saluting “a key figure in football and national sport, first as a player, then as a coach, and, more recently, as a manager.

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