Karl Toko Ekambi, one of Cameroon's dynamic duo, ended Gambia's swashbuckling caper in the Cup of Nations in Douala. It's curtains too for the Japoma Stadium. Oh well, at least security is alive and kicking. Wonder why.
They learn
For the quarter-final match at the Stade Roumdé Adjia between Tunisia and Burkina Faso, the security was, by contrast to our previous ventures to the venue, hyper. A police officer asked to look through our belongings while three callow asistants sat on chairs. Nothing untoward was found. We asked the searcher-in-chief if the heightened presence was a response to the absence of security personnel in the prelude to the Olembé disaster. "Effectivement," was the curt but revealing reply. We really don't think a translation in necessary.
Au revoir Douala
It was a night of farewells. Firstly, Gambia's eye-catching romp in their first Cup of Nations ended. They were convincingly beaten 2-0 by Cameroon at the Stade Japoma. Secondly, the 50,000 seat arena was scheduled to host a quarter-final on Day 22 between Senegal and Equatorial Guinea. But the pitch is too mashed up ... wrong kind of roof ... causing turf issues. Yes, really. So that game and next week's semi-final also penned in for Douala will be played in Yaoundé's Ahmadou Ahidjo.
Sharpshooters
Karl Toko Ekambi's brace for Cameroon in their 2-0 stroll past Gambia took him up to five goals in the tournament. In the competition scoring charts he's one behind his skipper Vincent Aboubakar. They've notched up all of Cameroon's goals in the run to the last four. The only duo to score more combined in a single edition of the tournament was Pierre Ndaye Mulamba (with nine) and Mayanga Maku (three) for Zaire in 1974. That was when the shindig was an eight team affair and a maximum of five matches was played - three in the group stages, a semi-final and a final. On saying that, Zaire's dynamic duo played six games because there was a replay of the final with Zambia. No penalty shoot-outs. No coronavirus. Wow.
Classy Kebaier as Tunisia tune out
Tunisia coach Mondher Kebaier was super cool. His side had lost 1-0 to Burkina Faso in the quarter-final in Garoua. But he said his players had tried their best, given everything and were unlucky. The opponent had simply carried the day. "We couldn't impose our game style," he added. "Burkina Faso are a solid side who can attack quickly. We prepared for this but unfortunately they were successful on one of their counters. We had 45 minutes to level. And we couldn't do it. They deserved the victory. It wasn't stolen. I hope the future for the Tunisia side will be better." That is just class.
Boy wonder/blunder could be a man machine
Ah the joys of youth and the craft of work. Dango Outtara scored the goal that Burkina Faso were resolutely defending when in the 82nd minute, the 19-year-old was a tad too physical when jumping for a ball with Ali Maaloul. The veteran defender went down clutching his head. Referee Joshua Bondo bounded over to the pitchside monitor and upgraded the yellow card to red. "I don't want to put any pressure on his young shoulders," said Burkina Faso coach Kamou Malo. "He needs time to grow. What he's doing at the moment is good but he's not the godsend nor the finished article. He needs to keep his head on his shoulders and if he does that, we will see a great striker."
