Bryan Mbeumo drove Cameroon’s opening night at the Africa Cup of Nations with a calm display that earned him Man of the Match and set the tone for a 1-0 win over Gabon.
The winger created the moment that decided the game, slipping a neat pass into Karl Etta Eyong who finished after nine minutes. The flag first went up for offside, then VAR stepped in and the goal stood, sparking relief around the stadium.
Mbeumo kept asking questions down the right. Samuel Kotto headed wide from his cross, and Gabon were forced to sit deeper as the pressure grew. Denis Bouanga did have a close-range effort blocked, the best chance for Gabon before the break.
Cameroon took a hit when Carlos Baleba did not return for the second half through injury, yet the team stayed composed. They slowed the game, defended their box and waited for space that never quite came.
Cameroon stood firm at the back and prevented Gabon from scoring a late goal.
Cameroon opened Group F with three points and now turn their focus to holders Ivory Coast on December 28th.
