By Our Reporter in Agadir
The sweeping, sand-colored curves of the Stade Adrar provided a majestic backdrop for a New Year’s Eve thriller as Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions survived a scare to edge out Mozambique 2-1.
Nestled at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, the 45,000-capacity arena in Agadir was transformed into a cauldron of noise, with the Moroccan wind whipping through the stands as the “Group of Death” reached its boiling point.
From the first whistle, the atmosphere in Agadir was electric.
Thousands of traveling fans turned the stadium into a patchwork of green, red, and yellow, their drums competing with the local Moroccan supporters who flocked to the coastal city to witness the tournament’s heavyweights. For 23 minutes, however, it was the Mozambican “Mambas” who silenced the crowd.
Geny Catamo, the darling of Mozambican football, sent the underdogs into dreamland with a sensational curling effort that left the Cameroon keeper stranded and the Agadir faithful in disbelief.
But the Indomitable Lions didn’t earn their nickname by retreating. The grandeur of the venue seemed to galvanize Rigobert Song’s men.
Just five minutes after falling behind, a chaotic scramble in the Mozambique box—fueled by the sheer intensity of the Cameroon press—forced a calamitous own goal from defender Nene.
The roar that greeted the equalizer could likely be heard all the way to the Agadir beachfront.
The second half saw the Stade Adrar bathed in floodlights as the tension mounted. The breakthrough finally came in the 55th minute via 19-year-old sensation Christian Kofane.
The Bayer Leverkusen starlet pounced on a defensive lapse, took one touch, and hammered a “rocket” of a shot that rattled the underside of the crossbar before nesting in the net.
Despite a frantic late push from Mozambique that had the Agadir crowd on the edge of their seats, Cameroon held firm.
As the final whistle blew under the Moroccan night sky, the Lions secured second place in Group F, setting up a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash with South Africa.
For Mozambique, despite the heartbreak in Agadir, their spirited performance ensures they sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams, keeping their AFCON dream alive.
