Cameroon, the five-times winners and current holders, put a pre-tournament pay dispute behind them to beat the rank outsiders Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in their opening match at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ismailia.
The Indomitable Lions took more than an hour to break down stubborn resistance before Yaya Banana and the substitute Stéphane Bahoken scored in a three-minute spell to give Clarence Seedorf’s side a winning start in group F.
Banana headed in at the far post from a corner in the 66th minute before Bahoken, just off the bench, reacted quickly to turn the ball in after a rebound.
Cameroon’s players refused to board their flight for Egypt due to a dispute over bonuses last Thursday, but they travelled the following day despite voicing their dissatisfaction. Further turmoil was to follow when they sent Joel Tagueu home after the forward was found by a team doctor to have a “potentially life-threatening” heart defect.
The holders dominated the first half but found it difficult to find a way past the Guinea-Bissau defence and were not helped by wayward finishing from Christian Bassogog. He fired wide after escaping the defence in the seventh minute and miscued spectacularly after Karl Toko pulled the ball back from the by-line to leave him with an open goal just after the half hour.
In the second half Cameroon turned the screw, creating a host of chances, although they also survived a couple of scares. The goalkeeper André Onana kicked a clearance straight at Frédéric Mendy but it rebounded wide and Guinea-Bissau, who made their debut at the tournament in Gabon two years ago, went close when Sori Mané’s long-range shot was just over.
The deadlock was finally broken when Guinea-Bissau’s goalkeeper Jonas Mendes was caught in no-man’s land at a corner and Banana headed in at the far post.
The second quickly followed as Ambroise Oyongo’s cross was headed away by Rudinilson Silva but bounced off Mané and went straight to Bahoken, who turned it in from close range.
Guinea-Bissau still had chances, with Piqueti Silva heading against a post before the end.
In the group’s late match, Benin’s Mickaël Poté pegged back Ghana to a surprise 2-2 draw. Ghana were shocked in the 55th minute when the defender John Boye, already booked, stepped up to take a free kick inside his own half, moved away to let a teammate take it instead, and was shown a second yellow card for time-wasting.
Poté had opened the scoring in the second minute before André Ayew, currently on loan at Fenerbahce from Swansea City, equalised in the 10th minute. Jordan Ayew, his brother, made the score 2-1 three minutes before half-time.
