Cameroon lift African Cup

Television replays suggested that the shot from Ikpeba may have crossed the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar, but Tunisian referee Mourad Daami did not hesitate in his decision.

Patrick Mboma, Pierre Wome and Jeremi Njitap were also on target for the 1984 and 1988 champions and Marc Vivien-Foe shot tamely wide while Augustine 8216;Jay Jay8217; Okocha, Godwin Okpara and Sunday Oliseh scored for Nigeria.

African Footballer of the Year Kanu was inconsolable after seeing his weak attempt pushed away by ecstatic Boukar Alioum, lifting his shirt to wipe tears from his eyes.

It was a dramatic end to a match Cameroon appeared to have wrapped up when they moved twogoals ahead midway through the first half only for co-hosts Nigeria to storm back. Samuel Eto8217;O put Cameroon ahead in the 25th minute, Mboma added a second five minutes later, Ndukwe Chukwu reduced arrears just before the break and Okocha levelled within 90 seconds of the restart.

CROWD SILENCED: The drummers who had been beating out rhythms urging Nigeria on to victory suddenly went silent. The crowd that had forced its way into the stadium had come for a party, many in fancy dress8217; and daubed in the green and white National colours.

One man dressed in a green and white feather eagle costume roller-bladed round the stadium. Others, shaven-headed corpses8217; painted ghostly-white struck poses for the feeding pack of cameras. All were convinced that Nigeria, favourites since the start of the championship, were going to win.

Ultras mar Lazio match

Juventus returned to the top of Italy8217;s Serie A on Sunday night after beating Lecce 1-0 and then watching Lazio draw 0-0 with Parma in a match marred byracist fans.

Lazio needed a win to stay one point in front but the best efforts of Chilean striker Marcelo Salas and his teammates came to nothing.

The match was spoiled by more racist boos by the 8220;Ultras8221; at the North end of the Olympic Stadium whenever one of Parma8217;s black players Frenchmen Lilian Thuram and Ousmane Dabo, or Ivory Coast-born Saliou Lassissi touched the ball.

German international Paulo Rink helped Bayer Leverkusen keep up the pressure on champions Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga title race at the weekend. Substitute Rink8217;s 69th minute strike lifted Leverkusen to a crucial 1-0 home win against VFB Stuttgart to maintain a three-point gap between the two clubs.

In Spain Jose Pacheta scored for Numancia on Sunday in a 1-0 victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna, who are still three points ahead in the Spanish Championship thanks to poor performances by the chasing pack.

Second-placed Real Zaragoza could only draw 1-1 at home to Rayo Vallecano while Barcelona, in third spot,lost 2-1 at Real Betis and are five points behind the leaders. Lazio coach Sven Goran Eriksson meanwhile gave his uncompromosing verdict on the rascist chants. 8220;It8217;s not just boring, it8217;s disgusting. If, in the year 2000, there are still people who think like that it means this world is all wrong,8221; he said. The draw played into the hands of Juventus, now on 44 points, whose winner came in the 26th minute with a Zinedine Zidane free-kick.

Other results and placings
Italy: AC Milan bt Bologna 3-2; AS Roma drew Perugia 2-2; Inter Milan drew Torino 1-1; Fiorentina drew Udinese 1-1; Venezia bt Cagliari 3-0. Placing: 1 Juventus 44, 2 Lazio 43, 3 AC Milan 41, 4 AS Roma.
Germany: SV Hamburg bt Schalke 4 3-1; 1860 Munich bt Freiburg 3-1. Placing: 1 Bayern Munich, 2 Bayer Leverkusen 3 SV Hamburg.
Spain: Celta Vigo bt Real Sociedad 4-1. Placing: 1 Deportivo 2 Real Zaragosa 3 Barcelona 4 Celta Vigo.
France: Geugnon bt Marseille 4-3.
Cameroonlift African Cup