[ 2015-01-25 ]

Cameroon 1-1 Guinea: Group D remains all square after stalemate
Cameroon and Guinea both failed to grab the
initiative in Africa Cup of Nations Group D as
they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in
Malabo.

With the Ivory Coast and Mali drawing by the same
scoreline earlier on Saturday, the opportunity to
take the outright lead in the pool was on offer.

Volker Finke's Cameroon - who drew 1-1 with Mali
in their opening match - struck first when
Benjamin Moukandjo scored direct from a corner.

However, Guinea restored parity shortly before
half-time courtesy of Ibrahima Traore's accurate
drive.

Cameroon created the better openings in the second
half with Vincent Aboubakar wasting the best
chance when he put a free header wide inside the
penalty area.

Each of Group D's four matches have now ended 1-1
despite stoppage-time drama that saw Stephane Mbia
head wide when in a great position for Cameroon
and Ibrahima Conte have strong penalty claims
dismissed for Guinea.

Cameroon will now meet the Ivory Coast, while
Guinea face off with Mali in order to determine
who will reach the quarter-finals in the final
round of pool matches.

Cameroon dominated the opening exchanges and only
a fine save low to his right from Guinea
goalkeeper Naby-Moussa Yattara kept out
Aboubakar's side-footed volley.

Yattara endured a heart-in-mouth moment in the
11th minute when his attempted clearance struck
Florentin Pogba and skewed just wide of the
left-hand post.

Cameroon's pressure told from the resulting
corner, though, as Yattara spilled Moukandjo's
whipped near-post delivery into the roof of the
net with the goalkeeper seemingly put off by a
missed flick from Aurelien Chedjou.

After a slow start Guinea started to build
momentum and only a fine defensive header from
Raoul Loe prevented Fode Camara from pouncing at
back post.

Joseph Ondoa then stood up well to deny Traore,
who went one-on-one with the Cameroon goalkeeper.

But Traore would not be denied three minutes
before the break as he turned sharply on the
left-edge of the box and struck a sweet first-time
shot low into the far corner.

Guinea's half ended on a sour note when Pogba was
taken from the pitch on a stretcher with an
apparent knee injury.

Traore almost scored a second in fortuitous
circumstances shortly after the restart with a
cross-shot that eluded Ondoa, but went wide of the
far post.

Cameroon upped the tempo in search of a winner as
Aboubakar tried an audacious 25-yard lob that went
just over the crossbar.

The Porto striker was then guilty of missing a
great chance when he glanced a header wide from
Henri Bedimo's expert centre with Yattara in no
man's land.

Cameroon continued to turn the screw and Aboubakar
had a great chance to tee-up Moukandjo with 20
minutes remaining, but he could not adjust his
feet and when the ball fell to Edgar Salli his
shot was deflected for a corner.

There was then late drama as first Cameroon
captain Mbia managed to head wide when unmarked in
the box from point-blank distance, before Conte
had legimate penalty claims waved away for Guinea
when he appeared to be tugged to ground by Jerome
Guihoata.

Source - Goal.com

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