Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations hosts Cameroon opened the tournament with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Group A rivals Burkina Faso at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde on Sunday evening.
Sangare scored in the 24th minute to give Burkina Faso the lead in the game but in the 40th minute, Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar equalised by converting a spot-kick into a goal.
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Initially missed by referee Mustapha Ghorbal, VAR intervened and called for the official to watch the replay – he then awarded a spot kick to the hosts which Aboubakar coolly converted.
Aboubakar converted another penalty into a goal in the extra minute of the first half as the Lions tamed the Stallions to the delight of fans.
Burkina Faso looked for an equaliser early in the second half and were close to levelling the game 10 minutes after the restart, but Onana was alive to his duties in goal as he kept Cameroon in the lead.
The hosts made the first changes with just over 20 minutes to play, sending in Clinton Njie and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, while the Burkinabe responded with the introduction of Mohamed Konate and Zakaria Sanogo shortly thereafter.
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 and 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 – when they finished third while Burkina Faso is participating for the 12th time in the tournament.
