Cameroon overcome plucky Comoros to advance at Cup of Nations

Hosts Cameroon made heavy work of beating 10-man Comoros Islands 2-1 on Monday to advance to the African Cup of Nations quarter-finals on the expense of a staff who had every little thing stacked towards them within the final 16. Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar scored the house staff’s objectives on the Olembe Stadium to remove the debutants, who have been compelled to make use of a full again in purpose and had their captain despatched off after six minutes.
But Comoros nonetheless put up a gallant struggle and, regardless of the appreciable drawback, pulled a purpose again from Youssouf M’Changama with 9 minutes remaining to depart the match with their reputations significantly enhanced.
Cameroon meet upstarts Gambia within the final eight in Douala on Saturday after they upset Guinea 1-0 in Bafoussam earlier on Monday. Ravaged by COVID-19 infections, Comoros had no goalkeeper obtainable for the sport, bringing left again Chaker Alhadhur into service, plus needed to do with out coach Amir Abdou, who can be in quarantine.
The scenario worsened significantly six minutes into the sport when captain Nadjim Abdou was dismissed for a lunging deal with that caught Nicolas Moumi on the Achilles tendon. The crimson card, nevertheless, was solely issued after the Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema had been suggested to overview the incident on the pitch facet VAR display screen.

Cameroon, five-time African champions, went on the assault from the beginning however have been met by spirited resistance. Their first efforts from Aboubakar and Toko Ekambi have been each large of the goal, failing to check the makeshift goalkeeper, earlier than a easy inside go from captain Aboubakar left Toko Ekambi with a simple end to open the scoring within the twenty ninth minute.
Alhadhur made a number of sharp, albeit unorthodox saves to maintain Cameroon at bay till Aboubakar slipped across the defence to latch onto a intelligent via go and make it 2-0 with 20 minutes left. But Comoros have been in no thoughts to pack the defence and El Fardou Ben Mohamed compelled a flying save out of Andre Onana within the 79th minute earlier than M’Changama then beat the goalkeeper with an outstanding long-range freekick. All three goalkeepers for the small island nation had been dominated out of the match on the eve of the tie –- one via harm and two after testing COVID-19 constructive final week. But Ali Ahamada returned a brand new unfavourable take a look at and was pronounced match to play by the Comoros Football Federation in a medical bulletin on Monday, just for his participation to be later dominated out by the Confederation of African Football.
Their medical fee stated any participant who had been in quarantine must wait a minimal of 5 days earlier than being allowed to return to play. Instead, the Comoros fielded the 30-year-old defender Alhadhur, who had his squad quantity plastered on an outsized goalkeeping jersey and whose first contact was to move the ball clear from the sting of his field.He didn’t make an precise save till late within the first half in what nearly changed into a fairytale efficiency.
At least 6 reported useless in crush at African Cup of Nations recreation
People help victims of a stampede outdoors a stadium internet hosting an African Cup of Nations soccer recreation in Yaounde, Cameroon, Monday Jan. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Thierry Noukeu)
At least six individuals died in a crush outdoors a stadium internet hosting a recreation at Africa’s prime soccer match in Cameroon on Monday, a neighborhood authorities official stated, realising fears over the capability of the Central African nation to stage the continent’s largest sports activities occasion.
Naseri Paul Biya, the governor of the central area of Cameroon, stated there may very well be extra deaths.
“We are not in a position to give you the total number of casualties,” he stated.
The crush occurred as crowds struggled to get entry to Olembe Stadium within the capital metropolis of Yaounde to look at the host nation play Comoros in a final 16 knockout recreation within the African Cup of Nations.
Officials on the close by Messassi hospital stated they acquired at the least 40 injured individuals, who have been rushed to the hospital by police and civilians. The officers stated the hospital was not able to treating all of them.
“Some of the injured are in desperate condition,” stated Olinga Prudence, a nurse. “We will have to evacuate them to a specialised hospital.”
Witnesses on the stadium stated kids have been amongst these caught up within the crush. The witnesses stated it occurred when stadium stewards closed the gates and stopped permitting individuals in.
Soccer officers stated round 50,000 individuals had tried to attend the match. The stadium has a capability of 60,000 however it was not meant to be greater than 80 per cent full for the sport as a result of restrictions on the scale of the group due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Confederation of African Football, which runs the African Cup, stated in an announcement it was conscious of the incident.
– AP