AFCON 2021: Cameroon beat Brave Comoros to book a quarterfinal clash against Gambia
Cameroon are through to the quarter-finals after a 2-1 win over Comoros, who started the game with a left-back in goal and played with 10 men for over 80 minutes.
Comoros – playing in their first AFCON – were forced to select Chaker Alhadhur, of French Lige 2 side AC Ajaccio, as their goalkeeper after Ali Ahamada was ruled out due to Covid rules despite testing negative for the virus on Monday morning.
Ahamada was one of several players and staff hit by a Covid outbreak, but Comoros were still able push five-time winners Cameroon close and emerge with huge credit from their debut campaign.
But if Comoros’ task was not hard enough before the game, it was made even tougher within the first 10 minutes when captain Nadjim Abdou, the former Millwall and AFC Wimbledon midfielder, was sent off following a VAR review for raking his studs down the leg of Cameroon’s Moumi Ngamaleu.
Yet despite their advantages, Cameroon took nearly 30 minutes to register their first shot on target – fortunately for them, it was also the first goal, as Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi’s calm finish gave Alhadhur no chance.
Comoros refused to wilt, but the game seemed to be put to bed when Vincent Aboubakar – the tournament’s top scorer – netted his sixth goal in just four games to make it 2-0.
The Al Nassr striker’s goal made him the first player in 24 years to score more than five goals in a single AFCON tournament.
But the game was thrown back into the balance in the 81st minute thanks to one of the goals of the tournament.
Youssouf M’Changama, of French second-tier side Guingamp, lined up a free-kick from 30 yards and whipped it into the top-left corner to give Comoros – 82 places below Cameroon in the FIFA world rankings – belief that a quarter-final place was still possible.
But Cameroon were able to see out the final minutes to secure their place in the last eight, while Comoros will be able to look back on an eventful first AFCON appearance with pride.
Musa Barrow’s strike in the second half gave Gambia a historic 1-0 win over Guinea to qualify for the quarterfinals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade Omnisports de Bafoussam on Monday.
The Scorpions continue to send shockwaves in their debut appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations and are without a loss in the competition so far.
Cameroon will continue their quest for a sixth AFCON title against another debutant, The Gambia in Douala on Saturday.
