Manager Rigobert Song made some surprising decisions for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage match between Cameroon and Guinea. Lions of Teranga coach Aliou Cisse, who had recovered from his illness, named a strong side including players like Sadio Mane, Pape Sarr, and Ismaila Sarr. The defending champions had already secured their place in the knockout round by defeating Cameroon, but they were aiming for top spot and a perfect record.
The first half of the match was intense, with a few confrontations between the two teams, but clear chances on goal were scarce. The deadlock was finally broken in the 60th minute when Abdoulaye Seck scored a powerful header from a free-kick by Krépin Diatta. The defending champions sealed their victory late in the game as Iliman Ndiaye received a pass and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
In a surprising move, Rigobert Song left goalkeeper Andre Onana on the bench and gave Fabrice Ondoa his second start for the Indomitable Lions. Song also brought back Karl Toko-Ekambi and Jule Ntcham in an effort to secure their first win of the tournament after losing to Senegal previously. These two teams had met before at the previous Cup of Nations, with Cameroon winning thanks to two goals from Toko-Ekambi.
Toko-Ekambi once again made an impact by opening the scoring in the 55th minute, recording his first goal of the tournament. However, Gambia turned the game around with Ablie Jallow equalizing in the 72nd minute and Ebrima Colley scoring the winning goal with only five minutes remaining. Despite this setback, Christopher Wooh managed to secure the victory for Cameroon with a goal in the 91st minute, securing their place in the round of 16 as the second-placed team.
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