Contributed by Nkafu Gabriel
The intermediate indomitable lions of Cameroon have been knocked out of the ongoing under 23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt. The lions got eliminated after losing their last group match to host Egypt last Thursday by 2-1.
Egypt’s Mostafa Mohamed gave his country the opener at the 28th minute. Cameroon fought had to get an equalizer and their efforts finally paid off 7 minutes to the end of the first half when attacker Ayuk Mbu Eric netted in the lion’s first goal.
Just when the lions thought they could at least maintain a draw and qualify for the semis, their hopes got dashed when Mostafa Mohamed came back at the 51st minute and helped the Pharaohs regain their lead.
Cameroon pushed further for another equalizer but that failed to pay off.
In the other group A game between Ghana and Mali, Ghana defeated Mali 2 -0. At the end of both games, Egypt topped the group with 9 points while Cameroon and Ghana had 4 points. However, only Ghana got the second qualification ticket, thanks to their +1 goal advantage over Cameroon.
Speaking after the match, the Head coach of the U-23 lions, Rigobert Song said they put up their best performance but unfortunately, they just couldn’t achieve their goal which was to reach the semi-finals.
This was Cameroon’s first ever participation at the U-23 AFCON. Though they didn’t go pasts the group stage, they put up a strong fighting spirit and hopefully, the team can do better in the near future.
Recent Comments