Lamine Camara scored a shocking brace as Senegal started their defence of the Africa Cup of Nations title with a 3-0 win over Gambia on Monday, however fellow heavyweights Algeria and Cameroon have been each held of their opening matches. Sadio Mane‘s Senegal are hoping to retain the trophy they received in Cameroon two years in the past and have been too robust for his or her Gambian neighbours, who performed the entire second half with 10 males. Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye swept residence an help by Mane to provide the Lions of Teranga the lead inside 4 minutes in Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro.

Gambia endured a troubled build-up to the match, boycotting a coaching session over an unpaid qualification bonus earlier than their flight to Ivory Coast was pressured to show round simply 9 minutes after take-off on account of technical issues.

Quarter-finalists in 2022, they’d Cardiff midfielder Ebou Adams despatched off for a studs-up problem simply earlier than the break.

Senegal successfully killed off the sport early within the second half when 20-year-old Camara, the African younger participant of the yr, drilled a low shot into the far nook.

He then accomplished the victory with an early contender for aim of the match within the 86th minute, expertly bending a shot into the highest nook from simply outdoors the field.

Aliou Cisse‘s Senegal will seemingly face a more durable task of their subsequent Group C match once they face five-time winners Cameroon.

The Indomitable Lions, champions in 2017, needed to come from behind to attract 1-1 with 10-man Guinea within the second sport of the day in Yamoussoukro, with Frank Magri equalising for Cameroon early within the second half.

Guinea had taken an early lead by Mohamed Bayo, who was main their assault within the absence of the injured Serhou Guirassy, the striker having fun with a tremendous season in Germany with Stuttgart.

Cameroon, with Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana not within the group having not arrived in Ivory Coast till simply earlier than the match, got a lift as Guinea’s Francois Kamano was despatched off with half-time approaching.

Magri headed them stage, however they may not discover a winner within the sapping late afternoon warmth.

Empty seats

Algeria, who received the title in 2019, turned the newest main nation to fail to win their opening sport after Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt and Ghana, as they have been held to a 1-1 stalemate by Angola in Bouake.

Baghdad Bounedjah gave Algeria the lead after 18 minutes in Ivory Coast’s second metropolis, and the striker then had a shocking second aim disallowed for a decent offside name quickly after.

Angola equalised by a Mabululu penalty halfway by the second half within the Group D sport, though they’ve now did not win any of their final 9 matches on the Cup of Nations, stretching again to 2012.

Burkina Faso and Mauritania meet in the identical group on Tuesday, additionally in Bouake.

Monday’s matches have been performed out earlier than swathes of empty seats, which has rapidly change into a supply of embarrassment for match organisers.

Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugre Mambe on Monday mentioned measures could be taken to attempt to make sure full stadiums.

“You will see the results in the next 48 hours,” he mentioned, in response to criticism after fewer than 37,000 followers attended Saturday’s opening sport between the hosts and Guinea-Bissau on the 60,000-seat Ebimpe Olympic Stadium.

The sport had been declared a sell-out, with many Ivorians complaining that sure individuals had purchased tickets in bulk over the web and had not managed to then promote them on.

“Numerous supporters expressed their concerns about the fact the stadium was not totally full,” acknowledged the Confederation of African Football and the native organising committee in a joint assertion.

Tuesday will see the opening video games in Group E, with Tunisia assembly Namibia and Mali taking up South Africa in Korhogo.

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