- There was maximum drama for Cameroon before they secured a last-16 spot
- Gambia thought they had a late equaliser that would knock Cameroon out
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Cameroon booked their place in the last-16 of the Africa Cup of Nations in the most dramatic of fashions, with VAR to thank in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
The African heavyweights looked to be set for a shock group stage exit when Gambia, who finished bottom of the group, thought they had equalised in the 95th minute to make it 3-3.
A VAR check followed and while all of Cameroon took a collective intake of breath, before it was chalked off for handball and the Indomitable Lions squeaked through Group C as runners up.
Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United No 1 Andre Onana started on the bench for this one; things would soon unravel even further.
While Karl Toko Ekambi gave them the lead just before the hour mark, Rigobert Song’s team were soon 2-1 down and staring elimination in the face.
Goals from Ablie Jallow and Ebrima Colley, his just five minutes before the end, had Song’s fancied side sweating.
An own goal from James Gomez in the 87th minute threw them a lifeline before defender Christopher Wooh netted a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
The drama was not ending there, though, and Gambia thought they had nicked a famous point when the ball was bundled in in the 95th minute by Colley, to the bewilderement of Cameroon’s players and coaches.
Further inspection from VAR found that Colley had in fact handled it into the net and it was rightly ruled out.
That all meant that Cameroon finished ahead of Guinea on goals scored while Gambia were eliminated after a third successive loss.
Cameroon will now face Nigeria in the last-16 in Abidjan on Saturday
More to follow.
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