Cameroon held to 1-1 draw by 10-man Guinea in AFCON opener
Cameroon were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Guinea in a Group C encounter on Monday, January 15, 2024. SportsRation reports.
The match in Yamoussoukro saw Guinea take an early lead inside 10 minutes, with Mohamed Bayo calmly slotting the ball beyond Cameroon’s goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa. Cameroon, missing key players like Vincent Aboubakar and goalkeeper Andre Onana, struggled to find their rhythm and carve out chances in the first half.
The game’s structure changed just before the half-time whistle when Guinea’s captain, Francois Kamano, received a red card after a VAR check for a stamp on Cameroon’s Frank Magri. This gave Cameroon a numerical advantage for the second half.
Cameroon capitalized on the situation and found the equalizer within seven minutes of the restart. Frank Magri scored with a towering header from Georges-Kévin Nkoudou’s excellent cross, in what was Cameroon’s first effort on target in the game.
Despite taking control of possession in the second half, Cameroon faced a resilient Guinea defense that denied them clear opportunities.
Karl Toko Ekambi had a chance to put Cameroon ahead, but his shot found the gloves of Guinea’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone.
The draw leaves Cameroon with work to do in their upcoming matches to secure a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The Africa Cup of Nations continues to deliver unexpected results, adding to the excitement and unpredictability of the competition in Cote d’Ivoire.
