CAN 2024: Cameroonians savor their epic qualification against Gambia
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.
Cameroonians celebrate the capital goal scored by Christopher Wooh (n°4) against Gambia, on January 23, 2024 in Bouaké (Ivory Coast) during the African Cup of Nations.
AFP - KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
By: Nicolas Bamba Follow
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With our special correspondent in Bouaké,
The end of the first round of
CAN 2024
is breathtakingly intense.
After the incredible rout of Ivory Coast against Equatorial Guinea (group A) and the breathtaking
mano a mano
between Egypt, Cape Verde, Ghana and Mozambique (group B), the chase between Gambia and Cameroon in Group C was also tough.
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 exulted with this
hard-won 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 you must “
always believe in it
”, even when the scenario is so crazy.
For Olivier Kemen, it is “
a new CAN that is beginning
” now, while Cameroon will face Nigeria in the next round.
The midfielder appeals to the famous “
hemlé
”, the fighting spirit of the Indomitable Lions to “
continue
” in this “
crazy
” competition.
André-Franck Zambo-Anguissa, the Cameroonian captain, congratulated his teammates after this success which counts as “
one of the finest 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 this evening
,” 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 team.
“
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 intends to “
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.
Also read: Everything about the six CAN groups
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