FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Napoli v AS Roma - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 28, 2024 Napoli's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/File Photo
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Nigeria striker Ademola Lookman continued his outstanding year with two goals to help his country to a 3-0 home win over neighbours Benin in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday.
Victor Osimhen got the other goal in the Group D tie in Uyo in a comprehensive win for the Super Eagles despite going into the game with uncertainty over who will be their next coach.
Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar got the only goal as they edged Namibia while Mauritania scored late in Saturday’s other qualifier to beat Botswana 1-0 in Nouakchott.
Nigeria broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime with Lookman’s fine individual effort, as he cut in from the wing before striking home.
Osimhen, in his first run out this season after moving from Napoli to Galatasaray on loan last week, swept home the second goal in the 78th minute. He was left unmarked in front of goal and tucked away a deflected cross from Wilfred Ndidi.
Lookman added the third five minutes later with a clever angled header from Moses Simon’s cross as Nigeria gained a measure of revenge for their 2-1 loss in Benin in a World Cup qualifier three months ago.
Lookman was the only African to be named earlier in the week among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or, on the back of his hat-trick for Atalanta in May’s Europa League final and his role in helping Nigeria to the Cup of Nations decider in the Ivory Coast in February.
The Super Eagles had Austin Eguavoen in charge as caretaker coach after last week’s announcement of the appointment of former Germany international Bruno Labbadia proved premature.
Nigeria’s football federation retracted their announcement, explaining negotiations over the new coach’s salary had scuppered the deal.
The build-up to Cameroon’s clash against Namibia in Garoua in Group J was also overshadowed by off-field issues, as the arm wrestle over control of the team between the country’s sports minister and football federation (Fecafoot) continued.
In Cameroon, the sports ministry pays the national coach’s salary and there has been an on-going conflict since it appointed Belgian Marc Brys as coach without consulting Fecafoot president Samuel Eto’o
It took 65 minutes to break down Namibia’s defence with a clever ball over the back four finding Bryan Mbeumo, whose shot was saved but veteran striker Aboubakar tucked away the rebound.
Mauritania’s goal came in the 84th minute from Sidi Bouna Amar.
Qualifiers for the 2025 finals in Morocco continue over the next three days, after which each of the 48 participating countries will have played two matches.
(Editing by Toby Davis)
