Soccer-Cape Verde upset Cameroon to qualify for Nations Cup

YAOUNDE
Oct 14 (Reuters) – The tiny Cape Verde Islands eliminated former World Cup
quarter-finalists Cameroon on Sunday to win a place at the African Nations Cup
soccer finals for the first time despite losing 2-1 in the second leg of their
final-round qualifier.

A
country with a population of 500,000 pulled off one of the biggest shocks in
the competition’s history with their 3-2 aggregate triumph after winning the
first leg at home 2-0 last month.

Cape
Verde had expected a rampant response from Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in
Sunday’s return but were met instead with a nervy and muted showing, allowing
them to extend their aggregate lead 22 minutes into the game with a free kick
from Portuguese-based striker Heldon.

Cameroon
were back level minutes later through Achille Emana but still needed three more
goals to overturn the deficit, a task that seemed beyond their dispirited
performance.

The
hosts got their second goal four minutes into stoppage when 16-year-old
substitute Fabrice Olinga came on to score at the end of a cross from Samuel
Eto’o.

The
return of four-times African Footballer of the Year Eto’o and a change of coach
ahead of the second leg did little to resurrect Cameroon’s fortunes.

They
now miss out on the Nations Cup for a second successive tournament, suggesting
the era of a regular role as one of African football’s superpowers is at an
end.

Cape
Verde, with a team drawn from their extensive diaspora in Europe, toyed at
times with their much-vaunted hosts, passing the ball around at pedestrian pace
in the second half to waste time. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town;
Editing by Clare Fallon)