At the Ahmadou-Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon won 3rd place in the African Cup of Nations after an unexpected penalty shootout (3-3, 5-3 on pens) at the regard to the context. With a three-goal lead twenty minutes from time, the Burkinabés finally collapsed against the offensive armada of the Indomitable Lions, authors of an incredible comeback and intractable in the game of penalties. While waiting for the grand final between Sadio Mané’s Senegal and Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, scheduled for this Sunday at 8 p.m., the Indomitable Lions end on a good note.
In just under 24 hours, the big winner of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations will be known. Senegalese and Egyptians will indeed compete for the final title at the Stade d’Olembé in Yaoundé. In the meantime, the match for third place opposed, this Saturday at 8 p.m., Cameroon, the organizing country, to Burkina Faso. Defeated after a decisive penalty shootout against the Pharaohs in the semi-finals, the Indomitable Lions therefore had the ambition to end this campaign with a victory, in order to chase away the disillusion experienced. For its part, Burkina Faso, eliminated by the Lions of Teranga, wanted to confirm its status as the flagship selection of African football. For this small final between two selections which had also opened the tournament a month ago (2-1 victory for Cameroon), Kamou Malo therefore opted for a 4-2-3-1 led by Ouattara, present at the forefront of the Burkinabe attack.
The Burkinabe festival!
For his part, Antonio Conceiçao also lined up a 4-2-3-1 where Ganago, Bassogog and Bahoken formed the attacking trio. A start to the meeting which started on a very low intensity where neither of the two selections wanted to discover each other. Despite a slight fright for the Cameroonians on a header from Tapsoba (8th), we had to wait until the end of the first quarter of an hour to see the first real chance of this meeting. On a cross from Oyongo, Ouédraogo came out just ahead of Bahoken before stopping, not without some success, the strike from Jean Onana (17th). Using the activity of its side, Cameroon was again dangerous but Jean Onana, this time with a header, missed the target (21st).
Better and better in the game, the Indomitable Lions were nevertheless going to be surprised shortly before the half-hour mark. Taking advantage of a shift from Ouattara, Kaboré found Yago with a precise cross at the far post. From the head, the left side of Aris Limassol opened the scoring (1-0, 24th). Stung raw, the Indomitable Lions tried to react but neither Bahoken (37th) nor Ganago (39th) managed to equalise. And the scenario was going to take a completely different turn when the Cameroonian goalkeeper was completely holed up just before the break… On a new cross from Kaboré, very active in the first act, Onana was guilty of a terrible handball and saw the ball spinning in his own goals (2-0, 44th). Back under the whistles of the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium, the Cameroonians were even going to sink definitively as soon as they returned from the locker room.
Indomitable!
Served by Traoré, Ouattara got the better of Moukoudi and Mbaizo to deceive Onana with a superb diving header (3-0, 49′). Frighteningly realistic (3 goals in as many shots on target), the Stallions thus plunged the host country into full doubt. Stunned, the teammates of Toko-Ekambi, who entered during the game, reacted timidly but the distant and powerful strike from Onguéné fled the Burkinabe frame (53rd). Not admitting defeat, Cameroon went back on the attack and would logically be rewarded through Bahoken taking advantage of a mess in the heart of the Burkinabe area (3-1, 71st). Carried by this reduction in the score, the Lions even thought to completely relaunch this meeting a few moments later but Toko-Ekambi fell on Ouédraogo, author of a high-class save on the strike of the Lyon striker (73rd).
Cornered, the Burkinabés resisted as best they could and the doorman of the Stallions intervened once again on a strong attempt by Bahoken (83rd). But what seemed unthinkable at the break was about to happen… On a long innocuous ball, the last bastion of Burkina Faso, until then irreproachable, could not manage to control the leather. Opportunistic, the captain of the Indomitable Lions, Aboubakar, then took advantage of the offering to push the ball into the empty goal and put the Lions back up (3-3, 87th)! Injured in the previous action, Ouédraogo then had to give way to Sawadogo and the task promised to be immense for the newcomer since after more than 7 minutes of added time, the two teams were going to decide on penalties! In this game, it was finally Cameroon who emerged victorious thanks to a last attempt converted by Oyongo. A snatch victory validating a third place at the end of a crazy scenario which allows the Indomitable Lions to end this AFCON on a positive note.
The official line-ups at kick-off
Burkina Faso XI
Cameroon XI
#ECHOSDELATANIERE 🇨🇲🦁⚽🔥 #MATCHDAYThe incoming XI of #IndomitableLions.#BURKINAFASO 🇧🇫 🆚 🇨🇲 #CAMEROON 🏟 Ahmadou Ahidjo⏰ 8:00 p.m., GMT +1🏆 Third place#TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 | #CAN2021 | #BURCMR | #GoLions|#LetsRoarTogether | #AllezLesLions pic.twitter.com/aNqcS3SOF4
— The Official Indomitable Lions (@LIndomptables) February 5, 2022
