![\"Vincent](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/vincent-aboubakar-220109-aftergoal-bpp-1050-696x384.jpg\" "\\"Vincent")
Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations host 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.<\/p>\n
The Stallions looked on course for an upset when Gustavo Sangare put them ahead just after the midway point of the first half, but a pair of Vincent Aboubakar penalties in the minutes before the break ensured the Indomitable Lions claimed all three points on offer.<\/p>\n
The first real sight of goal went the way of Cameroon in the eighth minute, with striker Aboubakar showing good footwork to open a shooting chance on the edge of the penalty area, but he blazed a shot high and wide.<\/p>\n
Four minutes later Karl Toko Ekambi beat Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi to a long ball and managed to round the shot-stopper down the right flank, though his subsequent attempt at a cross was sliced behind for a goal kick, as the hosts missed out on a great attacking opportunity.<\/p>\n
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The Indomitable Lions had bossed the opening quarter, but the Stallions claimed the lead on 24 minutes: Bertrand Traore \u2013 who had seconds before seen a header from a corner kick cleared off the line \u2013 whipped in a cross from the right flank which was missed by goalkeeper Andre Onana and allowed Gustavo Sangare to volley home left-footed for 1-0.<\/p>\n
Traore went from creator to being culpable for Cameroon\u2019s equaliser late in the first half, with the Aston Villa attacker guilty of a clumsy challenge on Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa in the 18-yard area.<\/p>\n
Initially missed by referee Mustapha Ghorbal, VAR intervened and called for the official to watch the replay \u2013 he then awarded a spot-kick to the hosts and Aboubakar coolly converted for 1-1 in the 40th minute.<\/p>\n
The Lions were soon 2-1 up via another well-taken penalty from Aboubakar in injury time before the interval. This time the spot-kick was awarded for a rash, late challenge from Issoufou Dayo on Nouhou Tolo long after the latter had clipped in a cross from the left of the penalty area.<\/p>\n
Burkina Faso looked for an equaliser early in the second half and were close to levelling the game 10 minutes after the restart, as a well-worked free-kick gave Cyrille Bayala a shooting chance just a few metres from goal, but Onana made a brave block to keep Cameroon ahead.<\/p>\n
The hosts made the first changes with just over 20 minutes to play, sending on Clinton Njie and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, while the Burkinabe responded with the introductions of Mohamed Konate and Zakaria Sanogo shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n
Cameroon looked the likelier scorers at this phase of the game, with Anguissa seeing a low shot deflected just wide of the target before Aboubakar blazed a shot off target from a tight angle on 77 minutes.<\/p>\n
Yet the hosts did not find the third goal needed to avoid a nervy ending, with the Stallions pushing hard for an equaliser in the dying stages. However, the best chance they could muster was an injury-time effort from substitute Mohamed Konate which was comfortably saved by Onana.<\/p>\n
The teams will be back in Group A action on Thursday 13 January, with Cameroon taking on Ethiopia and Burkina Faso battling Cape Verde \u2013 both at the Olembe Stadium.<\/p>\n
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