Africa Cup: Cameroon, comeback and third place. Onana is wrong, but then it is decisive

In the end, the captain always comes. Aboubakar, as in the debut match against Burkina Faso, leads a sensational comeback from Cameroon with a brace and gives third place to the hosts. The score changed from 3-0 to 3-3 in less than 20 minutes, then on penalties a save from Onana, protagonist in the first half of an unfortunate own goal, was decisive.

OH ISSA

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The so-called “finals” always show a kick that must be taken with a grain of salt, for intensity and motivation, but the Indomitable Lions certainly do not take the field to finish the Cup badly in front of their audience. The approach of Toni Conceição’s boys is not bad, but on the 24th minute a maneuvered action surprised them. The ball arrives on the right to Issa Kaboré, who cleverly draws a cross at the far post that catches defenders and goalkeeper unprepared: Steeve Yago reads the idea in advance and comes out from behind for the burkinabé advantage. The patatrac is completed a minute and a half before the break, when an awkward hold by André Onana on another invitation from Kaboré turns into an own goal: 2-0 at half-time.

THE MOVES

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In the opening match of the tournament it was a brace from Vincent Aboubakar to solve Cameroon’s problems, so this time the coach chooses to insert it at the beginning of the second half hoping for the shock of the captain and top scorer of the competition. Change something? Not now. Indeed, at 48 ‘Bertrand Traoré invents a very precise left-handed cross from a standstill and Djibril Ouattara, in a twist, drops the three-of-a-kind header. The home coach then played Karl Toko Ekambi – second scorer of the Cup – as a card of despair and in the 71st minute Stéphane Bahoken’s scrum shot instilled the necessary hopes. Five minutes from the end, an empty exit from a corner kick by Farid Ouedraogo opens the doors to Aboubakar’s winning header and in the 87th minute the goalkeeper messes up again: soap in high grip on a long pass and 3-3 of the captain of the Indomitable Lions. Double, the first player in the history of the African Cup to score 8 goals in a single edition.

NO EXTRA

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The regulation does not provide for an additional half hour, so everything is decided on penalties: in Burkina Faso there is Aboubacar Sawadogo in the goal due to the injury of the owner, the last foothold for the Stallions to avoid a real Istanbul, while on the other part is counted on Onana’s desire for redemption. Inter’s future saves on Ibrahim Blati Touré, his teammates are never wrong and Cameroon overturns an evening that seemed catastrophic.