AFCON 2025: Cameroon and Ivory Coast share spoils
No winner between Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon this Sunday evening in the 2nd day of AFCON 2025 in group F. The two teams gave the audience in Marrakech a real show. This sharing of points benefits the two selections that remain at the top of this pool with the same number of points (4). A length in front of the next opponent of the Indomitable Lions, Mozambique, 3rd and three from Gabon, officially eliminated before their third and last group match against the reigning African champions.
Philemon MBALE · Author profile ·
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A fairly balanced game
Fans got a run for their money this Sunday at the stadium in Marrakech. Duels, combat, commitment, goals, saves, every expectation but for a winner was met. A match of rare intensity but quite rambling in the first half. Succession of bad passes on both sides around the last opposing third. First alert from the 2nd minute with this cross from Konan which crashes on the transverse of Epassy.
Starting in place of Eta Eyong, the only striker in the 1-0 victory of Cameroon against Gabon, Christian Kofane thought he would open the scoring in the 19th minute. On a move on the right side, Junior Tchamadeu finds the striker from Bayer Leverkusen with a back cross, who sees his recovery from the right ended its race on the crossbar of a beaten but lucky Yaya Fofana. It’s a lively 0-0 that sends both teams back to the locker room after 45 unbreathable minutes.
Tchamadeu responds to Amad's curler
In the 2nd half, Daniel Namaso is two inches away from opening the scoring following a cross by Bryan Mbeumo. In the aftermath, the indomitable Lions are punished by a goal by Franck Késsié. Goal finally canceled for an offside position from the Al Ahli’s midfielder in Saudi Arabia. The match is racing with a new crossbar from AJ Auxerre’s midfielder Namaso for Cameroon. All this, in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd period. It is finally Amad Diallo who delivers the Ivory Coast in the 51st minute of play. On a supersonic counter, the Manchester United winger is ideally launched by a love ball of Ghislain Konan before adjusting Devis Epassy. This is already Amad’s 2nd goal in this competition.
Tchamadeu responds to him 5 minutes later. The player from Stoke City brings Cameroon back to level on a shot deflected by Konan and who lobes Yaya Fofana (1-1, 56th). The indomitable Lions did not doubt for long in this match. In the 60th minute, it’s Franck Késsié’s turn to try his head. Epassy watches over and makes a goal line safe. The two teams go hard towards each other in search for the winner but to no avail.
The score will no longer change. Ivorians and Cameroonians leave as good friends and remain in pole to finish in the first two places of group F.