2015 African Cup of Nations
Group D
Full Time: Mali 1-1 Cameroon
Date: 20 January 2015
Venue: Estadio De Malabo
We are still without a winner in Group D of the 2015 African Cup of Nations as Mali and Cameroon played to a 1-1 draw at the Estadio De Malabo on Tuesday night.
This match was preceded by the other Group D match which saw Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea also draw 1-1.
Mali started the better of the two teams and had the first decent effort on goal in the tenth minute when Bakary Sako was played in behind the Cameroonian defence, but his 14-yard effort was brilliantly saved by the keeper.
A minute later Mustapha Yatabare was in the thick of the action for Mali, but missed a glaring chance when he headed a right wing cross inches wide from only a couple of yards out.
Cameroon suffered a set-back in the 16th minute when Eyong Enoh had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Franck Kom.
Still, that did not stop the Indomitable Lions from attacking as they created their first decent chance in the 18th minute when Eric Choupo-Moting met a right wing cross, but saw his ten-yard header acrobatically saved by the keeper.
Ten minutes later Sako showed great strength and speed to beat one defender on his way into the Cameroonian box, but was once again denied by the keeper from 12-yards out.
The Indomitable Lions had the last say of the half when Benjamin Moukandjo met a pin-point cross, but headed narrowly wide five minutes before the break.
The half ended 0-0.
Cameroon started the better of the two teams in the second half, but despite controlling the possession stakes they struggled to fashion clear cut chances in front of goal.
Aurelien Cheudjou came close for the Indomitable Lions in the 58th minute when he fired a 22-yard free-kick inches over the crossbar.
Five minutes later Benjamin Moukandjo broke into the Mali box, but he pushed his powerful shot just wide from an acute angle on the right side of the six-yard box.
In the 70th minute the game saw its first goal when a Seydou Keita free-kick into the box was controlled superbly by Sambou Yatabare on his chest before volleying home from eight-yards out to give Mali the lead, 1-0.
Cameroon, though, were not going to go down without a fight and hit back six minutes from time when Ambroise Oyongo took one magnificent touch to control a ball over the defence before passing into the net from close range, 1-1.
Mali thought they had won the game late on when Sambou Yatabare headed home a poor clearance from a free-kick into the box in the 90th minute, but he was adjudge to be off-side as the game ended all-square.
