Yaoundé/Bafoussam (dpa) – Hosts Cameroon and the surprise team from Gambia have reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup. With soccer pro Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting from FC Bayern Munich, Cameroon won their round of 16 game in Yaoundé against the brave Cup newcomers Comoros 2-1 (1-0).
Lyon pro Toko Ekambi (29th minute) and Vincent Aboubakar (70th) scored for the favorites and winners of preliminary round group A. Youssouf M’Changama only reduced the lead (81′).
After a corona outbreak and seven players who tested positive, the Comoros national team even had to play without a trained goalkeeper. After regular keeper Salim Ben Boina was injured in the 3-2 win against Ghana, substitutes Moyadh Ousseini and Ali Ahamada also tested positive for the corona virus. Defender Chaker Alhadhur was now in goal. In addition, after an early red card for captain Nadjim Abdou (7th), the Comoros were outnumbered for almost the entire duration of the game.
Gambia had previously reached the quarter-finals as the third team with a 1-0 (0-0) win over Guinea in Bafoussam. Musa Barrow of Serie A club FC Bologna scored the decisive goal in the 71st minute. The 19-year-old midfielder Ilaix Moriba from RB Leipzig was also in the starting XI for the losers Guinea.
Tunisia and Burkina Faso were the first teams to reach the top eight on Sunday.