• Wednesday, December 25, 2024
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2023 AFCON: Cameroon held 1-1 by 10-man Guinea

Guinea-Mohamed Bayo

Guinea goal scorer Mohamed Bayo

Low-rated Guinea pulled one of the biggest surprises at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after holding five-time champions Cameroon 1-1 in a Group C fixture on Monday at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro despite

Guinea, ranked 80th in the world, playing the second half with 10 men had threatened a real shock when Mohamed Bayo fired them into an early lead.

But they had to play the entire second half a man light after skipper Francois Kamano stamped on Frank Magri’s heel.

Mohamed Bayo gave Guinea the lead before captain Francois Kamano was sent off just before half-time. Frank Magri equalised early in the second half, but a winning goal eluded Cameroon.

The brave Guinean showing on day three followed a string of unexpected results on Sunday with Cape Verde defeating Ghana, Mozambique holding Egypt and Equatorial Guinea drawing with Nigeria.

Earlier on Monday, Lamine Camara scored twice as title-holders Senegal outplayed Gambia 3-0 with the losers also having a player sent off late in the first half.

Cameroon who were seeking a sixth AFCON title were without two of their big names Vincent Aboubakar and goalkeeper Andre Onana after he arrived in Yamoussoukro just a few hours before the kick-off.

Onana delayed his arrival so that he could play for United in a 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Coach Rigobert Song chose Fabrice Ondoa as his starting goalkeeper with two other shot-stoppers, Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu, on the bench.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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