At 00:00 Beijing time on January 10, the opening match of the 2022 African Cup of Nations started on time, and the host Cameroon played against Burkina Faso. In the first half, Sangara broke the deadlock when Abubakar fired twice, and in the second half, Abubakar's goal was blown away. In the end, Cameroon won a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso and ushered in a good start.
Judging from the latest world rankings, the two teams are not much different. But Cameroon is Africa's oldest powerhouse, having won the Africa Cup of Nations five times. Cameroon is even better in terms of total value, overall strength or experience.
In the 23rd minute, Bertrand Traore crossed from the right, Onana misjudged the drop point, and Gustavo Sangare at the back post pushed the goal! Burkina Faso leads 1-0! It was also the first goal of this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
In the 40th minute, Bertrand Traoré knocked down Zambo Anguiza inside the penalty area and the referee reviewed the replay and awarded a penalty. Abubakar hit the penalty! 1-1, Cameroon equalised!
In the 3rd minute of first-half stoppage time, Tolo burst into the box and was brought down by Dayo, and the referee once again pointed to the penalty spot. Abubakar did it all at once! The Cameroon captain's big heart helped the team to beat the score! According to statistics, Abubakar is the first player in the past 9 years to score a penalty twice in a single game of the African Cup of Nations.
In the 59th minute, Niyamareou's low shot was saved and Abubakar followed up with a shot into the net. VAR intervened and the referee determined that Nyamareu was offside and the goal was invalid. Abubakar missed the opportunity to wear a hat.
In the end, Cameroon defeated Burkina Faso 2-1 to usher in the first victory of this African Cup of Nations.
It is worth mentioning that since 12 October 1988, Cameroon has never lost a game in the capital Yaoundé. This time, they continued the glorious record that had been held for 34 years.