FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP
Cameroon’s hope of progressing to the next stage of the Confederations Cup in Russia was dented by a 1-1 draw with Australia in Saint Petersburg thursday.
The Indomitable Lions took the lead at the end of the first half when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa scored his first international goal.
Australia’s Captain Mark Milligan equalised from the penalty spot in the 60th minute after Alex Gersbach was brought down inside the box.
The draw makes it very unlikely that the African champions will progress to the next round.
They face Germany in their final group game in Sochi on Sunday while Australia play Chile at the same time in Moscow.
The Cameroonians have to beat the reigning world champions and hope other results go their way.
In the other game of the group last night, Alexis Sanchez became Chile’s all-time leading scorer when he grabbed an early goal in their 1-1 draw against Germany.
Lars Stindl equalised for the world champions just before halftime although the game petered out in the second half as the high-octane Chileans appeared to run out of gas.
The result left both teams level at the top of Group B with four points each from their opening two games, although Chile have the better goal difference. Both Cameroon and Australia have one point each going into Sunday’s last matches of the group.
Meanwhile, Nigerian international Nnamdi Oduamadi has remained Africa’s record goalscorer at the FIFA Confederations Cup with three goals to his name.
He represented the Super Eagles under late coach, Stephen Keshi after the Nigerian side emerged champions at AFCON 2013 in South Africa. That record has yet to be broken.
The AC Milan winger surpassed the record previously held by six players, including ex-Everton striker Daniel Amokachi, when he bagged a hat-trick in the Super Eagles 6-1 hammering of Tahiti on June 17 2013.
Oduamadi became the first African player to net a hat-trick in the tournament after finding the net in the 10th, 26th and 76th minute at the Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte.
Five other Nigerian players have scored in the Confederations Cup: Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju, John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Amuneke and Elderson Echiejile.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico) and Ronaldinho (Brazil) are the overall record goalscorers in the Confederations Cup with nine goals.
