Agency :
Host nation Cameroon and debutants the Gambia have booked their quarterfinal tickets in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
At the knockout game played Monday night at the Olembe Stadium in the capital, the Comoros, already weakened by 12 Covid-19 positive cases including their three recognized goalkeepers, put on a brave fight against Cameroon.
The Coelecanths started the match with a real show of confidence but things got from bad to worse when their captain Nadjim Abdou was sent off early for a foul on Moumi Ngamaleu. Still, the Comoros presented a formidable opposition to the hosts.
Karl Toko Ekambi broke the deadlock just before halftime and gave the Indomitable Lions lead with a neat finish inside the area.
Captain Vincent Aboubakar added the second goal in the second half before Comoros captain Youssouf M’Changama scored a stunning free-kick.
Cameroon won by 2-1, not a bad result for Comorian players who were not expected to reach the knockout rounds of the tournament. The island nation had never played on the biggest stage of African football until now.
The result of the game was overshadowed by reports that several people have been killed and many others injured in a stampede outside the stadium. Hundreds of fans pushed through the security barriers, jostling each other in an attempt to enter the 60,000 seat-stadium whose capacity had been reduced to 80 percent due to Covid-19 restrictions.
