Egypt have booked their Africa Cup of Nations final spot with a win over Burkina Faso in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday. Now, they are awaiting their opponents, which will be decided on Thursday as Ghana take on Cameroon in the second semifinal, which promises to be interesting.
Also read: Afcon 2017 schedule
One might not have taken Cameroon too seriously before the Afcon 2017 started with some of their key players deciding not to play in Gabon. However, they have played some good football with the players that they have in their present squad. They finished second in their group, but it was their win over favourites Senegal in the quarters, which has made people stand up and take notice.
The players might not have been happy with the bonus given to them, but that disappointment has never translated onto the field. They look a determined unit when they are on the playing surface, and Cameroon coach Hugo Bross is pleased with their players attitude.
"We have not been happy since the start of the tournament but you have never seen that on the field. If we lose it will not be because the money is not good, it will be because Ghana are better than us," BBC quoted Broos as saying.
Ghana are favourites to reach the finals of Africa Cup of Nations, but they are aware about Cameroon, who like them, are desperate to feature in the title-decider. Cameroon, unlike Ghana, may not have quality stars, but it is their hunger and determination to succeed, which has helped them so far.
Ghana have some quality individual players, who have experience in European clubs such as Christian Atsu, Jordan Ayew and Andre Ayew. Jordan and Andre will play an important role in the semifinals as it was their goals, which helped them defeat DR Congo in the quarterfinals. They are also set to welcome their skipper Asamoah Gyan, who missed the last match due to injury.
Cameroon, who have some solid defenders, will have to stop their offensive players from scoring goals. If Andre Ayew gets small spaces to run against defenders, he never shies away from the opportunity and creates an opening for a goal.
Ghana have played wonderful football to reach the semifinals and assistant coach Maxwell Konadu and his players have their eyes on the ultimate prize – Afcon 2017 title.
"It's not just by chance but by the hard work the team has put in. The players are always willing to do something for their nation. One thing we all dream to achieve is to win the cup this time around." Konadu said.
Where to watch live
Ghana vs Cameroon Afcon 2017 semifinals match is scheduled for a 12:30am IST (7:00pm GMT, 2:00pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information.
India: TV: No live coverage.
Africa: TV: SuperSport 4. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: EuroSport 2 UK. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Australia, Canada, US: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
