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Anatole Abang got 10 minutes off the bench as Cameroon wrapped up qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nationswith a 2-0 home win over Gambia.
Cameroun - #Gambie
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) September 3, 2016
Remplacement #CMR #Faï (Sort) ---> #Ngwem (entre)#Ndip (sort) ---> #Abang (entre)#CMRGAM #AllezLesLions
Despite the fact that Cameroon was already through to AFCON 2017 before this match, Indomitable Lions head coach Hugo Broos had said a win was important. The team's last home game had been a somewhat disappointing 2-2 draw with South Africa, and Broos wanted Cameroon to have a more positive memory of its national team's work on home soil.
Karl Toko was Cameroon's primary scoring threat in the match. He won a penalty in the first half, converted by Benjamin Moukandjo to give the home team the lead.
#Cameroun 0:0 #Gambie
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) September 3, 2016
31' faute dans la surface gambienne sur #Toko. Penalty pour les #Lions#CMRGAM #AllezLesLions
#Cameroun 1:0 #Gambie
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) September 3, 2016
32' #Moukandjo transforme le penalty en but pour les #Lions#CMRGAM #AllezLesLions
Early in the second half, Toko doubled Cameroon's lead, nodding in a cross from (former RBNY man) Ambroise Oyongo.
#Cameroun 2:0 #Gambie
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) September 3, 2016
53' but de la tête de #Toko sur un centre de @OyongoA #CMRGAM #AllezLesLions pic.twitter.com/tvRHsVO7sX
Toko was denied a second goal by the post.
#Cameroun 2:0 #Gambie
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) September 3, 2016
81' le coup franc de #Toko s'écrase sur le poteau#CMRGAM #AllezLesLions pic.twitter.com/b3InFS5ZCw
Solid result for Cameroon and Hugo Broos. The head coach got everything he wanted out of this match: a look at some new and emerging players (he told most of his stars to stay home for this round of international matches), and a win in front of the home crowd.
Broos has promised that he will spread minutes evenly around the squad, so Abang may get more substantial time on Tuesday, September 6, when the team plays Gabon.
The Red-Bull-in-exile (Abang has just been loaned to Hobro IK by the New York Red Bulls) has been a regular in Cameroon squads since Broos took over coaching the team in February of this year. But the 20-year-old remains a fringe player for his national team. These September internationals are an important opportunity for players like Abang to stake their claim to back-up spots on the roster for the bigger games that lie ahead, for which Broos will surely return his stars to the starting lineup.