Afcon roundup: Cameroon and Algeria frustrated while Senegal ease to win
Cameroon were held to a 1-1 draw by resolute 10-man Guinea in their Africa Cup of Nations opener in Yamoussoukro.
Mohamed Bayo had given Guinea a shock early lead before captain François Kamano was sent off in firsthalf stoppage time following a VAR review for standing on Frank Magri’s foot.
Magri’s header levelled things up six minutes into the second half, but Cameroon could not find a winner past the well-organised Guinea defence.
Earlier, defending champions Senegal defeated the Gambia 3-0 to sit top of Group C.
Cameroon – missing injured captain Vincent Aboubakar – started with Fabrice Ondoa in goal after bad weather caused travel problems for his cousin André Onana, who had flown in from Manchester on a private jet only to be further delayed and not named in the match squad.
Guinea, without the Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy, took a shock lead in the 10th minute. The Cameroon midfielder Olivier Kemen lost possession on the edge of the penalty area and the Le Havre forward Bayo stabbed the loose ball past Ondoa.
The Indomitable Lions, five-time
African champions, looked for a swift response as captain Frank Anguissa headed wide at the far post. Guinea defender Sekou Sylla tried a long-range effort to catch Ondoa off his line, but the back-pedalling Nimes keeper was relieved to see the ball drop on to the roof of the net.
Guinea, though, were down to 10 men in stoppage time at the end of the first half when Kamano saw red following the Magri incident.
Cameroon equalised six minutes into the second half when Magri got up at the back post to head in GeorgesKévin Nkoudou’s deep cross from the left. Just after the hour, Guinea midfielder Aguibou Camara burst clear on the right, only to be brought down by Cameroon defender Harold Moukoudi, who was shown a yellow card.
Cameroon pressed for a late winner, with Nkoudou glancing a header wide before the Guinea keeper Ibrahim Koné saved from Karl Toko at point-blank range as the 10 men held out.
In the opening Afcon match of the day, Lamine Camara’s double helped Senegal get their title defence off to a winning start over the Gambia’s 10 men.
Pape Gueye put the 2021 champions ahead just four minutes in, while the Gambia were reduced to 10 men when the Cardiff midfielder Ebou Adams was sent off on the stroke of half-time. Camara doubled Senegal’s lead seven minutes after the break and wrapped up victory in style with a stunning curling strike in the closing stages.
Senegal took the lead when Camara’s cross was cleared as far as Sadio Mané and the former Liverpool forward laid the ball off to Gueye on the edge of the box, who smashed it first time into the bottom corner.
Musa Barrow fired a free-kick from a tight angle into the side-netting for the Gambia and his compatriot Ali Sowe had a great chance from a corner, but the cross was slightly too high as his header flashed wide. The Gambia were then handed a blow when Adams was shown a red card, eight minutes into first-half stoppage time.
The Teranga Lions took advantage of their extra player seven minutes into the second half when Ismaïla Sarr played Camara through and he tucked the ball into the bottom corner to extend their lead. They were nearly gifted a third when Yankuba Minteh found Habib Diallo in the six-yard box, but the goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye managed to smother the attempt.
For the Gambia there were two halfchances for Omar Colley, but Senegal remained in control with Gaye being called into action again to deny the Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson from close range.
Camara capped off the afternoon as he completed his brace in the 86th minute when Iliman Ndiaye weaved past the Gambia defence to find the Metz midfielder, who curled the ball first time into the top right-hand corner from 25 yards out to seal victory.
Former champions Algeria conceded a second-half penalty to allow unfancied Angola to force a 1-1 draw in the opening Group D clash. It meant Algeria continued their winless streak at the finals since being crowned champions in 2019.
Baghdad Bounedjah put the Algerians ahead in the 19th minute with a well-taken goal but clumsy defending cost them when Nabil Bentaleb committed a foul and gave away a penalty, converted by Angola substitute Mabululu in the 68th minute. Algeria have now failed to win in four matches at the Cup of Nations finals since lifting the trophy in Cairo.