Comoros were forced to field Ajaccio left back Chaker Alhadhur in goal as none of their three keepers was available. Two of their keepers had tested positive for COVID-19 while regular starter Salim Ben Boina was ruled out with injury
Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar scored for Cameroon as the home side labored to beat a 10-man Comoros side which had an outfield player as a goalkeeper 2-1 to sail into the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Comoros were forced to field Ajaccio left back Chaker Alhadhur in goal as none of their three keepers was available. Two of their keepers had tested positive for COVID-19 while regular starter Salim Ben Boina was ruled out with injury.
One of the keepers Ali Ahamada had reportedly tested negative upon testing on Monday morning, but according to CAF medical rules, any player had to self isolate for a further five days upon testing negative following a positive COVID test.
And as if that was not enough, Comoros were reduced to 10 men just seven minutes into the game when skipper Nadjim Abdou was red carded following a stamp on Momo Ngamaleu. Initially, referee Bamlak Tessema had not given a card for the challenge but upon visiting the VAR pitchside monitor, pulled out red for the captain.
The home side now had a double advantage with numbers favouring them and a left back manning the sticks.
They first had a chance after 11 minutes when Ekambi nodded the ball down for Aboubakar at the edge of the box, but the skipper’s shot on the half volley went wide. Six minutes later, Ekambi had a go at goal himself when he took on a daunting run on the right, but his eventual shot went wide.
The home side finally broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Ekambi took on a shot inside the box after being set up by Aboubakar.
Even after going down, Comoros showed bravery by taking on the chances whenever they broke into the Cameroonian half.
In the 32nd minute, Andre Onana made a double save to deny Comoros, first stretching to his left to palm away a shot from Ahmed Mogni before rising again to block Mohamed Youssouf’s effort on the rebound with his feet.
In the second half, Cameroon continued prodding in the Comoros half and Alhadhur made a brilliant double save in the 53rd minute. He dived to his left to smoother Aboubakar’s effort before recovering to punch away the rebound from Nicolas Ngamaleu.
But, he ultimately gave in for the second goal in the 69th minute when Aboubakar scored his sixth of the tournament, with an easy finish from close range after being put through on goal by Martin Hongla.
Onana was kept working and in the 73rd minute, substitute Abdallah Ali forced him to a smart save with a snap shot from the right. The custodian, who turns out for Ajax in the Netherlands made another wonderful reflex save to keep out El Fardou Ben Mohamed’s shot.
Comoros finally got a goal in the 81st minute when M’Changama fired a brilliant freekick from almost 40 yards out, the ball coming with pace and power to completely beat Onana.
Despite a last minute push to tempt a historical fightback, Comoros were unlucky not to get an equalizer.