Cameroon pegged back by late Burkina Faso strike

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

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Burkina Faso fought back to earn a 1-1 draw from their opening Group A match against Cameroon at the 2017 African Nations Cup in Libreville.

Lorient forward Benjamin Moukandjo put the Indomitable Lions ahead with a free kick on 35 minutes.

However, Burkina Faso rallied and earned a deserved share of the points when Issoufou Dayo headed in from close range with 15 minutes left.

A problem with the sound system at the Stade d'Angondje, which had earlier also held the opening match of the tournament between hosts Gabon and Guinea Bissau, meant the national anthems could not be played before kick-off.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and tournament organisers swiftly issued an apology for the ``technical incident''.

When the action got under way, Burkina Faso forward Prejuce Nakoulma sent an early header off target before Dayo shot wide from a tight angle.

Cameroon took the lead when Moukandjo whipped a 20-yard free-kick up over the wall and into the top-left corner.

Burkina Faso responded and went close when Nakoulma's rising, angled drive to the near post was pushed over by Fabrice Ondoa.

In first-half stoppage-time, Aalborg's Cameroon forward Christian Bassogog raced clear as he latched on to a long pass, but goalkeeper Kouakou Koffi rushed out of his area to make a last-gasp sliding tackle to knock the ball away. The 20-year-old had to time it perfectly or risk a red card.

Cameroon should have doubled their lead just before the hour mark.

Jacques Zoua's swerving 20-yard drive was beaten away by Koffi. The ball dropped to Clinton N'Jie in the six-yard box, but somehow the forward, on loan at Marseille from Tottenham, scuffed his shot wide.

It proved costly as Burkina Faso netted a late equaliser.

Ondoa palmed out a swerving free-kick from Banou Diawara, Malaga defender Bakary Kone headed the ball back goalwards and Dayo nodded in from point-blank range.

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