'Papilo Is So Crafty' - Utaka Recalls That Assist From Kanu That Led To Winner Vs Cameroon AFCON 2004

Retired Nigeria international John Utaka has recollected his winning goal in an epic Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal clash against a star-studded Cameroonian team in February 2004.

The Super Eagles camp was thrown into disarray when two strikers in Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Victor Agali, plus left-back Celestine Babayaro were expelled from the team due to indiscipline after a 1-0 loss to Morocco in their opener, but they still managed to make it out of the group after wins against South Africa and Benin to set up a meeting with the Indomitable Lions, who were the defending champions.

Samuel Eto'o on 43 minutes gave Cameroon the lead, Okocha restored parity with a stunning free-kick from near the penalty area on the stroke of halftime, before Utaka made it 2-1 with 17 minutes left on the clock after a brilliant assist from Nwankwo Kanu.

"Papilo you know is so crafty. When I watched the game later, I saw the way he positioned his body before he played the pass, he confused the defenders, they were thinking he was going to play left," Utaka said on Instagram Live. 

"I knew what he was going to do, so immediately I wasn't even waiting, I started going. Against Angola away he did the same thing, that was years after.

"Whenever I see him positioning himself I'll go because I know he will drop the pass.

"When I got that ball I said the only thing I can do is not to waste time because the goalkeeper will close down the more I waste time.

"I was looking right but I knew I was going to play left, he got a slight touch on the ball.

"I needed to drag him to the right so that I can confuse him because the goalkeeper is huge as well. I said if I take one more touch, he will close down on me so I said let me release the ball first time. "

Utaka spoke about the intensity of the game against a Cameroon side that included no-nonsense central defender Rigobert Song, who was his captain at French club Lens that season.

"The intensity of the match was crazy, coming out from the tunnel, you can feel the heat but that's the joy of playing football, that tension, that pressure is the beauty of the whole thing. You are coming out the crowd is singing.

"When I say tension, you know like 200 million people are watching. It's like a do-or-die affair.

"We know the team we are facing were a very, very good team - top strikers, midfielders, defenders. They were the defending champions, very strong team. One way or the other we needed to go past them.

"I was joking with him (Song) when we were coming out from the tunnel, I wanted to greet him and he said I shouldn't touch him but it was a joke.

"After the game he congratulated me and said there was nothing much they could do and wished me well," Utaka concluded.

Utaka and Kanu later became teammates at Portsmouth and won the FA Cup with the club in the 2007-2008 season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo credit : instagram.com/john_utaka