Cameroon to make amends with third-place finish

Following their painful loss to Egypt, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will be prepared to make amends by winning the third-place game against the Stallions of Burkina Faso today at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.

Burkina Faso fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Senegal in Wednesday’s last-four clash and will be looking to leave the competition with something against the wounded Lions who will head into the game seeking to restore some pride.

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Both sides had met in the opening game of the tournament with Cameroon winning 2-1 when Vincent Aboubakar struck twice to cancel out Gustavo Sangare’s 24th-minute opener and hand the host nation all three points.

However, Burkina Faso bounced back to winning ways four days later when they edged out Cape Verde 1-0 in a nervy contest before wrapping things up in the group stages with a 1-1 draw with Ethiopia on January 17.

The Stallion West Africans were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Gabon side in their round-of-16 clash before going on to win the game 7-6 on penalties.

Burkina Faso continued their fairytale run at the tournament as they claimed a surprise 1-0 victory over Tunisia in the quarter-finals last Saturday courtesy of Dango Ouattara’s solitary strike on the stroke of half time.

However, Malo’s side were denied a second final appearance since 2013 as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Senegal in their semi-finals four days later.

Meanwhile, Cameroon who began the tournament on a winning note and were picked to be the champions in waiting will feel somewhat disappointed all the same as they will now have to settle for a third-placed finish at best.

Toni Conceicao’s men turned in another fine show of class four days later when they came from behind to secure a comprehensive 4-1 win over Ethiopia, before holding out for a 1-1 draw in their group finale against Cape Verde on January 17.

Cameroon saw off a dogged Comoros side 2-1 courtesy of goals in either half from Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi before dispatching Gambia five days later.

However, Cameroon’s charge for a sixth Africa Cup of Nations title came to an end on Thursday when they were beaten on penalties by Egypt following a goalless 120 minutes at the Paul Biya Stadium.

Today’s game will see Cameroon who are unbeaten against Burkina Faso in the last five encounters between the sides since 2015, claiming three draws and two wins, including a 2-1 win in the group stages, and they will feel confident of coming away with the desired result on today.