Round one of group matches of the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon ended on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 with the game between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast ending in a one- zero victory for the Ivoirians.
The first match of the tournament saw Cameroon beating Burkina Faso by two goals to one after a spectacular opening ceremony at the Olembe Sports Stadium in Yaounde.
Gustavo Sangare scored the first goal of the tournament for Burkina Faso before Vincent Aboubakar scoring twice from the penalty spot to ensure that host nation Cameroon secured the three maximum points at commencement of the tournament.
Since 9th January, twelve competitive matches have been played with breath-taking goals, heartbreaks, shocking results and of course the spectacular sight of fans colourfully cheering their teams in the stands.
The maiden round of the tournament has produced some interesting fixtures with end to end amusements particularly the games between Nigerian and Egypt and Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast topping in that perspective.
Officiating controversies that characterized some matches during the first round is also worth mentioning with particular reference to the game between Tunisia and Mali.
During that match, referee Janny Sikazwe from Zambia whistled twice to signal the end of the game though the time was not due.
Referee Sikawe also issued a controversial red card to a Malian player among hosts of basic mistakes not to expect from a FIFA referee.
Statistics from the various matches
Number of wins- 10
Number of losses- 10
Number of draws = 2
Number of goals = 12
Highest goal-scoring team = Cameroon with two goals against Burkina Faso
Most goals per group = Group A with three goals
Number of yellow cards – 15
Number of Red cards – 2
