After the opening match of CAN-2022 won against Burkina Faso (2-1), Cameroonians surely did not expect to play this poster again, Saturday February 5, at the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium, for their last match in the competition, at least not this match, the "little final", they who dreamed of playing the big one, Sunday, in front of their audience at the Olembé stadium.

But Egypt put an end to the dream of an entire country, winning the semi-finals in a cruel penalty shootout for the Cameroonians.

Coach Toni Conceiçao did not hide his disappointment: "We will not be in the final, we are as sad as the 27 million Cameroonians, but that's football".

"You have to know how to get up"

A huge disappointment for the players, who will have to regain their strength, and their spirits, to save honor with a bronze medal.

"When you're a man, you fall, you have to know how to get up, that's the mark of the greats, and that's what we're going to do", philosophized in the mixed zone the Cameroonian midfielder André-Frank Zambo-Anguissa.

"There are important deadlines coming up, already the match for third place and in March the qualifiers for the World Cup. We will try to remobilize quickly."

🇬🇧 "Today, #Cameroon #TeamCameroon was superior."



The defensive midfielder of #LionsIndomitables and #Napoli André Zambo-Anguissa at the microphone of @RHoueix @allaouaM ⤵️https://t.co/UzM0FWBRSc pic.twitter.com/ETkTXai4JO

— FRANCE 24 French (@France24_fr) February 4, 2022

Only two days after having played 120 intense minutes against Egypt, it will already be necessary to hold the physical challenge against a team from Burkina Faso which benefited from an additional day of rest after their semi-final loss against Senegal (1 -3).

The Cameroon coach has also planned to rotate his squad: "Scientifically it is proven that the players will not have fully recovered (...) We will try to refresh the team. It is impossible to line up the same players after 120 minutes, only 48 hours later," he announced at a press conference on Friday.

Overcome "the fear of losing"

In addition to the physical, it will also be necessary to find the mental resources for this meeting.

"Emotionally, the players were very dejected. We will try to work on their motivation," explained the coach.

Because this is precisely the weak point of this team, analyzes Xavier Barret, columnist for France 24 and RFI: "Against Egypt, Cameroon let themselves be overwhelmed by the fear of losing, whereas until then, they had had a relatively easy course in the competition (...) At the mental level, they were not there and collapsed".

Cameroonian striker Karl Toko Ekambi appeared rather motivated: "We had a good tournament and now we are going to get this third place," he told France 24 after the half.

🇬🇲 "Congratulations to #Egypt, we're going to get third place (...) We can be proud of the journey we've made"



@OL player Karl Toko-Ekambi looks back on the match #CAMEGY #CMREGY and the defeat of #Cameroon with @RHoueix and @allaouaM pic.twitter.com/Rdt16WG83z

— FRANCE 24 French (@France24_fr) February 4, 2022

To reassure themselves, the Indomitable Lions can also remember the opening match, which they won 2-1 after being led and dominated at the start of the game, thanks to their providential striker Vincent Aboubakar.

But opposite, Burkina Faso arrives physically fresher, with also much less pressure, but the same ambition: "Feeding regrets would be an insult to this course, declared after the defeat against Senegal the coach of the Stallions Kamou Malo. I am proud of the boys. We are not going to give up, there is a medal to go for."

A third place that Burkina Faso had just won during its last participation in the CAN, in 2017.

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