OWN CORRESPONDENT, Accra | Thursday 10.45pm.
PATRICK Mboma scored twice and Samuel Eto’o once in the second half to give Cameroon a 3-0 victory over Tunisia on Thursday night in the African Nations Cup semi-finals.
The Indomitable Lions will now tackle co-hosts and title favourites Nigeria in the final on Sunday in Lagos. It will be the third decider between the countries with Cameroon winning the previous two in 1984 and 1988.
Mboma struck after 48 minutes with a close-range shot after Tunisia failed to clear a long throw-in and Eto’o and Mboma delivered the killer blows with goals during the final eight minutes.
Poor finishing was saving the Indomitable Lions as slick Tunisian passing ended with Maher Kanzari heading into the hands of Alioum, elevated from third to first choice for the event because of unavailable goalkeepers.
Sellimi was the next Tunisian culprit with an equally weak header after Zied Jaziri cut through the Cameroon defence and crossed to the far post before a disappointingly poor crowd.
Cameroon looked suspect at the back under the slightest pressure in the first half, despite good attacking from both sides.
Cameroon went ahead three minutes into the second half when an attempted headed clearance by Radhi Jaidi struck teammate Sirajeddine Chihi and fell into the path of Mboma, who scored with a left-foot shot under Al-Ouaer.
Tunisia seemed demoralised at falling behind and became less effective as the half progressed with Cameroon looking more likely to score again than concede a goal.
And so it proved as teenager Eto’o, from the famous Spanish club Real Madrid, raced past three static defenders to lob the ball over Al-Ouaer after 82 minutes and put the match beyond the reach of the North Africans.
Mboma from Italian club Cagliari caught Al-Ouaer out with a shot that flew into the net at the near post three minutes from full-time when the goalkeeper was expecting a cross. — AFP