BREAKING: Cameroon beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in AFCON opener

Hosts Cameroon kicked off the 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations against Burkina Faso in the Group A opener on Sunday.

Cameroon fought back to win 2-1 with Captain Vincent Aboubakar scoring two penalties in the game at Olembe Stadium, Yaoundé.

Gustavo Sangare scored in the 24th minute to give Burkina Faso the lead in the game.

In the 40th minute, Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar equalised by converting a spot-kick into a goal.

Aboubakar converted another penalty into a goal in the extra minute of the first half to give the hosts the lead.

This is Cameroon and Burkina Faso’s third encounter in the Africa Cup of Nations. Both previous meetings came in the group phase: Cameroon won 1-0 in 1998 before a 1-1 draw in 2017.

Cameroon made their 20th appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations, a tally only bettered by Egypt (25), Cote d’Ivoire (24) and Ghana (23). Egypt (7) are the only team to have won the tournament on more occasions than The Indomitable Lions (5).

Cameroon are hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, 50 years after it was first held in the country, in 1972 – they finished third. Egypt are the last team to win the AFCON as hosts, it was in 2006.

This is Burkina Faso’s 12th appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. In their previous 11 participations, they have either been eliminated in the group stages (8 times) or at least reached the semi-finals (3 times), including the final in 2013 (0-1 v Nigeria).

Details later…