Cameroon secured a valuable 1-1 draw against defending champions Cote dIvoire in a fiercely contested Group F encounter on Matchday Two of the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving the group finely poised heading into the final round of fixtures.The highly anticipated West and Central African derby lived up to expectations from the opening exchanges, with Ivory Coast starting on the front foot as they sought to build on their opening-day victory over Mozambique.Emerse Faes Elephants pressed aggressively, unsettling Cameroon early on.Just three minutes into the contest, Devis Epassy was rescued by the crossbar after a dangerous Ivorian effort, setting the tone for a frantic opening.Amad Diallo, who had already announced himself in the tournament, continued to torment the Cameroonian backline.The Manchester United winger came close again in the eighth minute, but his powerful strike rattled the woodwork.Cameroon struggled initially to cope with the intensity but gradually grew into the game, registering their first real chance in the 20th minute when Christian Kofane forced Yahia Fofana into action, the goalkeeper tipping the effort onto the crossbar.After the break, Cote dIvoire found the breakthrough. Diallo, left unmarked in the box in the 50th minute, calmly rolled the ball past Epassy to give the holders a deserved lead.However, Cameroon showed great resilience and character, refusing to capitulate. Their response was swift, and in the 56th minute, Junior Tchamadeus effort, deflected off Ghislain Konan, wrong-footed Fofana to restore parity.Cameroon came agonisingly close in the dying moments through Bryan Mbeumo, only for the Ivorian defence to intervene at the crucial moment.The draw leaves both Cameroon and Ivory Coast on four points, setting up a thrilling final Group F showdown to decide supremacy.
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