Cameroon managed to secure a draw in their first match of the Africa Cup of Nations thanks to Frank Magri’s crucial goal.
Magri’s goal proved to be vital for Cameroon despite playing against a 10-man Guinea team.
Guinea took an early lead after just 10 minutes due to poor defending by Olivier Kemen. Cameroon failed to clear the ball after a shot was saved, and Kemen made a mistake by knocking it towards Mohamed Bayo, who scored the opening goal.
However, Guinea faced difficulties later in the first half, when Francois Kamano was sent off for a dangerous challenge. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, Cameroon equalized five minutes into the second half. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou delivered an excellent cross, which Frank Magri headed in for their first shot on target.
Although Cameroon dominated possession in Guinea’s half for the remainder of the game, they struggled to break through. It wasn’t until the 88th minute that Karl Toko Ekambi had a shot saved.
In addition to scoring the equalizing goal, NKoudou posed a significant threat to Cameroon throughout the game with his accurate deliveries. Although they had difficulty creating many clear opportunities, the winger played a crucial role by delivering a crucial ball into the box to make it 1-1.
Kamano’s reckless challenge towards the end of the first half resulted in a straight red card and made things challenging for his team. Despite dominating possession, Cameroon struggled to generate clear chances, while Guinea remained a threat. However, everything changed in the second half when 10-man Guinea found it difficult to advance and failed to register a single shot in the last 45 minutes.
Cameroon is preparing for a tough task ahead as they will be facing the current champions, Senegal, on January 19. Senegal had already won their first game earlier in the day. On the same day, Guinea will be playing against Gambia in their second match.
