AFCON 2015 Qualifier: Cameroon’s Lions silence The Elephants

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon drubbed their Cote D’Ivoire counterparts 4-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde in Group D’s second match day opener of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group phase.

Two goals each from Clinton Njie and Vincent Aboubakar sealed the Indomitable Lions’ exhilarating victory, with Yaya Toure scoring one for the Elephants in their worst rout in more than a decade

Cote D’Ivoire began with confidence, proving dominant in the opening exchanges and pushing the Indomitable Lions to fight from their area, but goal chances created by the Ivorians were blocked in quick succession by a nervy defence from the home side.

Njie of Ligue 1’s Lyon raced down through the left and stroked his effort towards the Ivorian post, with Paris Saint Germain defender Serge Aurier deflecting inside his own net to gift the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.

Aurier drifted deep from the right side of the Cameroon area, scuffed his finish towards the post but goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoua parried initially to deny the Ivorian effort, but the ball fell into the path of onrushing Yaya Toure, who tapped in easily to claim the equaliser by the 24th minute.

Cameroon retook the lead after Ivorian defender Lamine Kone’s back header was grabbed by Vincent Aboubakar, who flawlessly hit home his team’s second goal in the 37th minute.

The Lions returned from the break looking even hungrier for goals than in the first half, as they besieged the Ivorian half in search of a breach, which surfaced in the 54th minute when Aboubakar claimed a loose ball in the scramble and lashed home his double to power the Lions’ lead to 3-1.

The Cameroonians strung beautiful passes together in the Ivorian area while inspecting for openings to launch an onslaught. After dragging two defenders to the right to create some space, Aboubakar dispatched a sublime chip to Njie, who completed his brace to take it to 4-1 in the 76th minute.

Cameroon currently top Group D with six points while Cote D’Ivoire are temporarily second, ahead of the group’s second game between Sierra Leone and DR Congo.