At the end of a crazy match, Cameroon found the resources to overthrow the Gambian Scorpions (3-2) on Tuesday and qualify for the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations. Within the Indomitable Lions, this victory sounds like a founding act of a group which aspires to reach the summits again.
3 mins
With our special correspondent in Bouaké,
The end of the first round of the CAN 2024 is breathtakingly intense. After the incredible rout of Côte d’Ivoire against Equatorial Guinea (group A) and the mano a mano breathtaking between Egypt, Cape Verde, Ghana and Mozambique (group B), the chase between Gambia and Cameroon in group C was also daunting.
In a Hitchcock-style end to the match, the Indomitable Lions were qualified, eliminated, requalified, eliminated again… The offensive festival brought 1000 emotions to the players and their supporters on Tuesday January 23. And on arrival, Rigobert Song’s men exult with this hard-fought qualification for the round of 16. Thanks to a better attack, they even took second place in the group, behind Senegal but ahead of Guinea.
Read alsoThe rankings of all CAN groups
“Everyone burst into tears, it was beautiful”
After the final whistle, we found players still euphoric in the corridors of the Peace Stadium. “ Today I had the most beautiful emotion of my life. Experiencing these kinds of matches is something very big », Leonel Ateba told us. Christopher Wooh, the man who scored the winning goal in added time, recalled that “ a lion never dies » and that it is necessary “ always believe », even when the scenario is so crazy.
For Olivier Kemen, it is “ a new CAN which begins » now, while Cameroon will face Nigeria in the next round. The midfielder appeals to the famous “ hemlé “, the fighting spirit of the Indomitable Lions for ” continue » in this competition « crazy “.
André-Franck Zambo-Anguissa, the Cameroonian captain, congratulated his teammates after this success which counts as “ one of the most beautiful of (my) career “. “ I saw a team that fought until the end despite the difficulties. I just want to say thank you to them. They believed in it, it’s a collective victory, the strength of a group which shines tonight », insists the captain.
This victory will remain in the memory of the experienced midfielder. At the final whistle, Zambo Anguissa saw “ a lot of emotion, joy » in the ranks of his people. “ Everyone burst into tears, it was beautiful. (…) I have never cried in my career. I won the Scudetto last year and I didn’t feel the emotion of today. It’s something strong. We do this job to experience this kind of emotion. And when it happens, it’s just incredible, extraordinary », insists the player from Naples in Italy.
From now on, Cameroon hears “ go as far as possible » in this CAN. “ If we play at this level in terms of mentality and effort, we can beat anyone », promises André-Franck Zambo Anguissa.
Read alsoEverything about the six CAN groups