Agony for Mane as Cameroon reach semis

SADIO Mane’s decisive penalty miss allowed Cameroon to knock fancied Senegal out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the quarterfinals on Saturday and join Burkina Faso in the last four.

Cameroon beat t Senegal 5-4 on penalties after er a goalless 120 minutes in Franceville, southern Gabon, n, in the day’s second gameme following a 2-0 win n for Burkina Faso againstnst Tunisia in Libreeville earlier.

Liverpool star Mane was the only player to miss from the spot t in the shootout in Franceville, with Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa saving his effort from 12 yards. Vincent Aboubakar then stepped up to score and take the Indomitable Lions through to the last four at the expense of a Senegal side who were one of the favourites coming into the tournament. Cameroon, who a l s o b e a t S e n e g a l on penalties i n the final of the 2002 Cup of Nations, can now look forward to a semifinal tie against either DR Congo or Ghana i n Franceville on Thursday.

It is the first time Cameroon have reached the last four since 2008,20 when they lost to Egypt in the final in Ghana.

“We haveh the possibility to write a b beautiful page in our history a and we do not want to stop her here,” Cameroon captain Benjam Benjamin Moukandjo told Canal PlusP Afrique.

“We’re going one game at a time. We have a semifinal to play, and whoever it is against we hope it will be as beautiful

as this.”

Senegal had enjoyed the better of the chances in normal time, but could not find a way past Ondoa, who was in inspired form.

“Our performance was good. We tr ied to play football against a side who were well organised and got men behind the ball,” said the Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, who had missed the crucial penalty when the Lions of Teranga lost the 2002 final.

“We know about penalties. It comes down to luck. They won it and I wish them good luck.”

Senegal’s elimination means the three men who made up the podium for the 2016 African Footballer of the Year award have all been knocked out of the Cup of Nations, with Mane joining Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and Gabon’s PierreEmerick Aubameyang in heading for the exit.

Nobody had expected to see Cameroon go far after their build-up to the tournament had been marred by the refusal of several key players to accept call-ups.

Few tipped Burkina Faso to go far either, but the 2013 runners-up secured their place in the last four by getting the better of Tunisia with two late goals.