Catamo Goal & Cameroon Victory: Diomande’s Reaction

Cameroon beat Mozambique 2-1, but lost their lead in CAN Group F in the last minute, due to an off-time goal from Ivory Coast against Gabon (3-2).

The winds of fortune, however, seemed to blow in a very different direction when Geny Catamo opened the scoring with a great goal, at 23′.

The Sporting winger went from the right aisle to the center, where he launched a shot that combined the placement and power necessary to score the second goal in the competition. Mozambique, which also had Santa Clara player Diogo Calila, who left injured in the 15th minute, raised hopes of top spots in the group, but an own goal from Nené returned Chiquinho Conde’s team to the reality of third place.

Cameroon threatened, Christian Kofane completed the turnaround in the 39th minute, but was caught in an irregular position and the tie reigned at half-time. Bayer Leverkusen’s striker didn’t act like he was asked and in the 55th minute he scored, like a bomb.

The striker’s furious shot sent Cameroon to a safe victory against a Mozambique team already thinking about the knockout phase. Geny Catamo’s departure from the field in the 60th minute was a clear sign of coach Chiquinho Conde’s attempt to manage the team’s efforts.

Ivane Urrubai held the minimum margin, given Cameroon’s greater dominance in the last half hour of the game. Mozambique did not finish the group stage in the top two places, but secured qualification for the knockout stage by being one of the best third-placed teams.

Chiquinho Conde’s men will face Nigeria, the defeated finalist from the last edition, in the round of 16, on January 5, the day after Cameroon face Burkina Faso. David Pagou’s men seemed to have the lead in their pocket until Ivory Coast orchestrated an incredible comeback against Gabon.

Ousmane Diomande was a starter and played his first minutes in CAN playing for Côte d’Ivoire, but the night did not start in the best way for the defending champions. Already eliminated Gabon were theoretically easy prey to seal first place in the group, but Guelor Kanga (11′) and Denis Bouanga (21′) built a surprising lead in the first half hour.

Jean-Philippe Krasso responded in the 44th minute, but the Paris FC striker’s goal did not seem enough to precipitate the defending champions’ comeback. Evann Guessand, however, restored Ivorian pride with the equalizer in the 84th minute. Everything seemed headed for a disappointing draw, when 19-year-old Bazoumana Toure triggered madness in Marrakesh, at 90+1′, in favor of DIomande’s team and gilista Konan.