Cameroon opened the 2021 AFCON with a victory as they came back from behind to beat Burkina Faso.
Cameroon won the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso on Sunday. The hosts made a convincing start to the tournament as they went top of the Group A standings.
A three-minute comeback!
Burkina Faso surprised the hosts by their confident performance early on as Cameroon looked unfocused. The guests started to gain possession while maintaining a high defensive line. Their impressive start to the game paid off when they broke the deadlock in the 24th minute.
Following a well-taken corner, Cameroon defenders cleared Bertrand Traore’s header. However, the rebound found Ibrahim Sangare, who scored the tournament’s first goal with a stunning volley.
Cameroon immediately started their efforts to get the equalizer after conceding the opening goal. The Lions came back into the game when Vincent Aboubakar converted a penalty in the 40th minute.
It did not take too long before Cameroon completed their comeback with another penalty. Only three minutes after their first goal, a foul on Nouhou Tolo resulted in the Lions’ second penalty of the night. Aboubakar completed his brace by sending the keeper the wrong way, putting the hosts ahead before the interval.
The Lions established their dominance as soon as the second half started. Aboubakar thought he had completed a hattrick when he smashed Moumi Ngamaleu’s blocked shot into the back of the net. However, upon checking with VAR, the referee disallowed the goal just before the hour mark.
Cameroon had several more chances to extend their lead as Burkina Faso struggled to make serious opportunities. However, the Lions settled for a 2-1 victory as they went on top of the Group A table. Elsewhere in the group, Ethiopia will face Cape Verde later today.
Cameroon will face Ethiopia in their next group stage game on Friday, while Burkina Faso meet Cape Verde on the same day.
Player Ratings
Cameroon: Onana (5), Onguene (6), Ngadeu-Ngadjui (6), Tolo (8), Anguissa (7), Fai (6), Gouet (6), Kunde (6), Ngamaleu (6), Aboubakar (6), Ekambi (6).
Bench: Neyou (6), Bassogog (7), N’Jie (7), Choupo-Moting (6).
Burkina Faso: Koffi (5), Kabore (5), Dayo (6), Yago (6), Malo (6), Guira (7), Toure (6), B. Traore (7), Sangare (8), Bayala (6), Tapsoba (5).
Bench: Bande (5), Konate (6), Sanogo (6).
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