AFCON 2021: Cameroon versus Burkina to kick-start 33rd edition of tournament
Cameroon and Burkina Faso will kick-off the 33rd edition of Africa’s flagship competition when they lock horns at the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé on Sunday amidst several condescending factors with Covid-19 hitting the camp of Burkina Faso.
Playing host to 23 nations from the continent, Cameroon will be looking forward to a good start in front of their faithful supporters.
This will be Cameroon and Burkina Faso’s third encounter in the Africa Cup of Nations with previous meetings coming in the group phase: Cameroon won 1-0 in the 1998 before a 1-1 draw in 2017.
After fifty years of hosting the continental showpiece, the Indomitable Lions, who have been preparing since the end of December, will start this competition with optimism of winning their sixth AFCON title, the last coming in 2017.
Speaking at a pre match conference, head coach of the Cameroonian team Antonio Conceiçao expressed his team’s readiness foe the tournament amidst several condescending factors.
“It is for a new challenge with the Indomitable Lions. We will try to achieve our ambitions. We prepared well and now we are ready for the competition. Our opponent is not an easy team. But we have the strength and determination to make a good start.”
On the other side of the coin, the Burkinabe side have set their ambitions so high. The Stallions traveled to Cameroon with the firm intention of doing better than their best outing in 2013, when they narrowly lost the final to Nigeria.
Facing the hosts in the opening might be a tough start, but The Burkinabe look like a team with a clear goal that they will do everything to perform.
The Burkinabe team upon arrival in Cameroon has had five players and head coach Kamou Malo testing positive for Covid 19 and are currently self isolating ahead of the opener.
Taking charge of affairs, Assistant coach Sanou Firmen laid out his team’s plan for the tournament with the Stallions hoping to get past the group stages and then go on to win the ultimate.
“We are facing the hosts which is difficult. But we have the means to achieve our objectives, and to go as far as possible in this competition. We will play with a young generation of talented players. Our first objective is to get past the group stage and our ultimate target is the title.”
The game proves to be interesting and full of electrification as the two teams were in the same group A at the 2017 AFCON, playing the opener in group A with both teams sharing the spoils.
Burkina Faso then progressed as group winners with Cameroon placing second but the latter had the best of the competition after winning the tournament to clinch their fifth AFCON title in Gabon as Burkina Faso placed third.
