In a thrilling encounter at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d'Ivoire 2023, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon secured their place in the knockout stage with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Gambia in their last group game.
The match saw Karl Toko Ekambi putting Cameroon in the lead in the 56th minute. Ekambi connected with a cross from Georges-Kevin N'Koudou and scored with a well-placed header. However, Gambia quickly levelled the score with Ablie Jallow capitalizing on a cross into the 18-yard box, shooting into the bottom right corner.
Gambia then took the lead when Ebrima Colley, assisted by Assan Ceesay, calmly slotted the ball into the net. Facing the prospect of elimination, Cameroon responded swiftly. James Gomez's attempt to clear a ball from his half ended up in his net, bringing Cameroon back into the game just two minutes after falling behind.
Cameroon completed the comeback with defender Christopher Wooh meeting Georges-Kevin N'Koudou's cross with a header to take the lead once again. The victory ensured that Cameroon qualified for the knockout stage with 4 points.
Gambia's head coach, Tom Sainfait, announced that this would be his last game with the Gambian team. He expressed gratitude to the Gambian Football Federation and mentioned that his decision to resign was a planned move.
Sainfait acknowledged the rivalry between Ivory Coast and Gambia, emphasizing that the Ivorians supported Gambia in the match against Cameroon. Despite the loss, he highlighted that such games were a victory for Gambia and commended his team's performance against Cameroon, a side with experienced players.
