Cameroon are once again the winners of the African Cup of Nations after staging a decisive fight against Egypt.
Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench to score a stunning winner
with two minutes left as Cameroon fought back from behind to beat Egypt
2-1 in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny had given Egypt the lead midway
through the first half and Egypt looked to be on course to win an
unrivalled eighth Cup of Nations crown in their first appearance at the
tournament since 2010.
But Nicolas Nkoulou, who had come off the bench in the first half,
headed in the equaliser just before the hour mark and his fellow
substitute Aboubakar slammed in the winner in the 88th minute.
That sparked bedlam in a near-capacity crowd of more than 38,000 in
Gabon’s capital, made up in its majority by Cameroonian supporters.
It is a fifth Cup of Nations crown for the Indomitable Lions, a
first since 2002, and the first time they have beaten Egypt in the final
in three attempts.
Egypt fell just short on their return to the competition after a
seven-year absence, and the defeat will be especially painful for their
coach Hector Cuper.
The Argentine was desperate to win a trophy after a career tainted
by rotten luck in finals at club level, including back-to-back defeats
in the UEFA Champions League with Valencia at the start of the last
decade.
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