During the 2017 edition of the African Cup of Nations, Vincent Aboubakar had scored only one goal, but what a goal! It was the one registered in the 88th minute in the final once morest Egypt. In 2019, he was not off the bench. This time, Aboubakar is already on two goals. And enter even more in the hearts of Cameroonians.
This Sunday in Yaoundé, the captain of the Indomitable Lions kept a whole country smiling. By scoring a double on penalty, he allowed his team to win the opening match and to get out of the Burkinabé trap. “The victory was important to us. Yes, I was a little scared (when Burkina led) but, sincerely, I had confidence in my players. We knew playing at home in the first game was a bit stressful, a psychological burden on the players, but they reacted and it got us into the game. Our team has shown its ability to react. We didn’t play a great game, but the main thing is to have won, ”said Portuguese coach Toni Conceiçao.
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Difficult to prove him wrong, this first meeting of the tournament will not be remembered. To see a show, you had to tune in very early and watch the opening ceremony offered to the 48,000 spectators of the Olembe stadium. For the rest, we will retain a rambling duel, choppy and marked by many facts of the game. From the 40th second, a first red card almost came out for a grotesque intervention with both feet in the air of the Burkinabe defender Steeve Yago. The same nervousness is undoubtedly at the origin of the blunder of the Cameroonian goalkeeper Onana, whose missed exit benefited the young midfielder of Quevilly-Rouen (24th).
Validate the qualification on Friday
Failing to excel technically, like Karl Toko-Ekambi in front, the Cameroonians had the merit of not panicking following this goal. They were thus able to take advantage of the gross faults of the opponents in the area to regain the advantage before half-time. Aboubakar was responsible for transforming the face-to-face thanks to two clear opposites (40th, 45th + 3).
Revealed in Ligue 1 in 2013, the former Lorient, then passed by FC Porto and Besiktas Istanbul, has become over the years one of the executives of the selection. He will have the opportunity to prove it once more on Friday once morest Ethiopia (5 p.m.) to ensure qualification for the round of 16 and dream of a triumph at home.
