Hosting the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in 59 years, Cameroon can already boast of what could be the best AFCON in recent time. As we head into the semi finals of the staggering campaign, more drama will be expected. However, Cameroon will want to take advantage of the fact that they’re playing at home, to clinch this year’s edition.
Should they win this, it would mean their sixth title, being only the second Country to amass up to those numbers. They’ve sure had a scintillating campaign, but to walk until the perfect day,, they’ll have to do away with the Pharoahs of Egypt, who are the continent’s leaders, with seven wins, and with Mohammed Salah in the form of his life, Cameroon will have a tough day at work, proving a point, given that Egypt will want to avenge for Cameroon’s shocking 2:1 comeback in Gabon, in 2017.
Egypt had taken the lead. With a superb Mohammed Elneny goal, until N. Nkoulou, Drew the Lions level, before the leading scorer of this year’s campaign Vincent Aboubaker, thrilled with individual brilliance, to completely mute the Egyptians. So expect nothing but drama, and no matter how both teams want to play in the finals, only one will be guaranteed a spot.
In the other Showdown, Burkina Faso, who were Cameroon’s oponent in the group stage, will be facing Sadio Mane’s Senegal, who have FIFA’s best goalkeeper in goal. Senegal have a full squad, a suppressing defense line, and though their attack line haven’t fired at all cylinders this campaign, their quarterfinal match against Guinea proved that they were reserving their goals for the last. Bertrand Traore’s Burkina Bay haven’t gotten to the semis by chance. They proved why Senegal need to be very weary, lest they get sacked.
Amazingly, if Senegal were to face Egypt in the finals, it would mean that Liverpool Team mates: Sadio Mane and MO Salah, who’re both captains for their national sides, will decide who’s Africa pride,especially as both have won a UCL title and a premier league title, but for anything to backup their worth nationally. Though Salah led Egypt to their first ever World Cup qualification in 2018, he has expressed his hunger, to fly back to Egypt, with the trophy. Again, they’ll gave to humble Cameroon on Thursday to stand a chance.
Undoubtedly, all eyes are being turned towards the goal posts. With Andre Onana and Eduard Mendy in goal for Cameroon and Senegal respectively, the battle for best goal keeper, is imminent. It shouldn’t be noted that before now, Andre Onana with Ajax in 2019, became the first African goal keeper, to ever reach the competitions semi finals.
Just a year later, Mendy came into contention, when he signed for Chelsea and his Shaun stopping skills, and ability to make himself even bigger in goal didn’t make him wait too long to erase Onana’s record, which only lasted for a year; Mendy won the Champions League with Chelsea in his first attempt, and already has the best World FIFA goalkeeper to his name.
Onana who was out for seven months due to a drug ban by FIFA hasn’t had a the time he would have loved to at Ajax, especially after making his intentions to leave the Club known. Nonetheless, he recently signed for Inter Milan as a free agent from Ajax, and will jet to Italy, after this ongoing competition. His unconvincing goalkeeping credentials for this campaign have been brandished with understandable consolation; given that he hasn’t been in full football action, since returning from his ban.
After picking the ball from his net, three good times, he secured his first cleanseet against Gambia, a game in which he could have chosen to pick up a conversation with the crowd, given that he had almost nothing to in goal Last Saturday.
Who do you think will win this years AFCON finals?
