31 May 2015 10:26
Cameroon saw their dreams of reaching the 2016 Olympic Games go up in smoke after Sierra Leone held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in Yaoundé.
‘Les Lionceaux’ bid farewell via the away goal rule after a 1-1 tie on aggregate, and it was so painful for coach coach Pierre Ndjili Ndengue and his charges suffering the sorry fate before their fans at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.
Lazio forward Joseph Minala put the hosts in the lead on 33 minutes and with victory staring at them, the Leone Stars leveled in stoppage time after captain Sorie Barrie converted a penalty.
Gold medalists in 2000, Cameroon for the second successive time have failed in their bid to reach the multisport event for the first since the 2008 edition in Beijing, China, after Tanzania edged them four years ago at the same stage.
And what makes it more disturbing is the fact that both games were played in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé, due to the home ban on Sierra Leone due to the Ebola outbreak.
After a barren draw in the first leg last week, the Leone Stars left it late against their hosts to book their place at the third round of the qualifiers of the African U-23 Championship Senegal 2015, where they are due to face Algeria.
Elsewhere in Bamako, Mali accounted for Mauritania 3-1 to progress 4-2 on aggregate and set up a date with Gabon at the third round. Adama Niane scored a brace whilst Moctar Mohamed Cisse added the other with Boubacar Bagili grabbing a consolation for the visitors.
The top three teams at the final tournament scheduled for 28 November to 12 December in Senegal, will qualify automatically for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, where the fourth-placed team will engage an Asian side in a playoff.
Results
Saturday, 30 May 2015
Uganda 2-0 Rwanda (2-1)
Cameroon 1-1 Sierra Leone (0-0)
Mali 3-1 Mauritania (1-1)
Sunday, 31 May 2015
Congo vs Ghana (0-1)
Sudan vs Tunisia (0-1)
Swaziland vs Zimbabwe (0-0)
Zambia vs Botswana (1-1)
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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