Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi both bagged a brace on Thursday night as Cameroon thrashed Ethiopia 4-1 to move into the last-16 knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Cameroon swaggered through the last 20 minutes. It was a pose contrasting sharply with their demeanour at the start of the encounter when they looked hesitant and disorganised.
And Ethiopia further stunned their hosts with a goal in the first four minutes at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé.
Abubeker Nasir picked up the ball in midfield and surged forward before releasing Amanuel Gebremichael on the right.
He looked up and slid a pass through for Dukele Dawa Hotessa to slot past the exposed Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana.
So slick and simple.
But the Ethiopians - who lost their first match against Cape Verde on Sunday - were only able to savour their lead for five minutes.
Return
Eric Choupo Moting exchanged passes with his strike partner Vincent Aboubakar who flashed a shot at goal.
The Ethiopia goalkeeper Teklemariam Shanko flew to his left to parry away the powerful drive but the ball fell to Collins Fai who lofted it across from the right to the unmarked Karl Toko Ekambi.
The Lyon striker gleefully headed home to notch up his sixth international goal.
The relief in the stadium was palpable. But rather than inspiring the hosts, the setback fired Ethiopia who spurned two good chances to regain the lead.
And Aboubakar made them pay the price for their imprecision. Eight minutes into the second-half, Fai got free down the right and crossed for his skipper to head powerfully past Shanko.
Before the Ethiopians could recover, Nicolas Ngamaleu got into the box down the right and he pulled back for Aboubakar to stab in the third. it was the Cameroon skipper's fourth goal in two games.
Harsh
The double blow was cruel on the enterprising Ethiopians who had pushed their illustrious opponents.
Mid-way through the second-half, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sent Ekambi running down the left, he pressed on towards goal and feinted to shoot, the two defenders were fooled and he cut back and rammed the ball past Shanko at the near post.
"The first-half wasn't easy," said Choupo Moting. "We conceded the early goal but afterwards we got our rhythm back. In the second-half we decided the best way to score was to be simple and that's what we did."
