2021 AFCON: Cameroon beat Burkina Faso to finish third
Five-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Cameroon came from behind to beat Burkina Faso in the third/fourth playoff place. Cameroon was trailing 3-0 before making a comeback after the 70th minute, They leveled the show at 3-3 before the game headed straight to penalties. Cameroon sealed the deal 5-3 on penalties as Burkina Faso suffered a heartbreak. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Burkina Faso crashed after having a crucial 3-0 lead. They were flying high until before Cameroon staged a comeback in the final 20 minutes. This saw Cameroon gain momentum and they carried on the same in the penalty shootout, firing all five kicks. Burkina Faso were left frustrated and the drop down in energy left them empty handed.
How did the match pan out?
Steve Yago's poked finish in the 24th minute gave Burkina Faso the lead. Andre Onana then scored his own goal right before half-time. Djibril Ouattara's header in the 49th minute made it 3-0 for the visitors. Hosts Cameroon hit back via Stephane Bahoken in the 71st minute before skipper Vincent Aboubakar netted twice in the last five minutes. The game went straight to penalties.
Notable feats achieved in this match
Five-time champions Cameroon finished third in the tournament for just the second time in the history of AFCON. They had last finished third in 1972. Aboubakar scored eight goals in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. As per Opta, only Pierre Ndaye Mulamba (Zaïre) scored more in a single edition (9 in 1974). Aboubakar now has 33 goals in 84 international matches.
