CAN 2015 – Group D: Cameroon Held by Mali After Late Drama
In the final match of the first round of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, all eyes were on Cameroon, expected to redeem themselves after their poor showing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. But the Indomitable Lions had to settle for a 1-1 draw against a resilient Mali side — and they came dangerously close to losing.
⚽ Match Summary:
74′ – Goal for Mali: Sambou Yatabaré opened the scoring after a smart deflection from Wagué. Unmarked on the right side of the box, Yatabaré controlled and struck a clean shot across goal, beating Fabrice Ondoa.
81′ – Equalizer for Cameroon: Ambroise Oyongo, the New York Red Bulls defender, saved Cameroon’s night. Raoul Loé delivered a perfect pass that Oyongo calmly slotted past Mali’s Soumaila Diakité with his left foot.
90+2′ – Disallowed Goal: Mali thought they had won it in stoppage time, but the referee rightly flagged for offside, sparing Cameroon from a crushing late blow.
😓 Cameroon’s Close Call
The Indomitable Lions looked shaky and disjointed for much of the match, with Mali showing more discipline and danger in front of goal. Coach Volker Finke’s side has plenty of work to do if they are to progress and make a real impact in this tournament.
🗓 What’s Next in Group D:
With both Ivory Coast vs. Guinea (1-1) and Cameroon vs. Mali (1-1) ending in draws, Group D remains wide open going into Matchday 2. All teams are level on points — setting up a tense battle for quarterfinal qualification.
