The first round of 16 of a CAN for the Comoros has definitely gone down in history. For this small nation in the Indian Ocean, neighboring the French department of Mayotte, Monday’s meeting against the Cameroonian ogre looked like a long ordeal (2-1). An ordeal that began before the match when the team got stuck in traffic jams in Yaoundé. In a video, we see the players strapping their ankles on the bus.
In addition to the incredible story where the Comoros could not field a professional goalkeeper, despite the three present in their list, they played 83 minutes in numerical inferiority after the expulsion of Abdou (7th) for stepping on the Ngamaleu’s ankle.
Before the meeting, the real psychodrama revolved around the imbroglio on the presence of a professional goalkeeper or not in the selection of the Comoros. If there was no dispute over the absence for injury of Salim Ben Boina, who plays as an amateur at Endoume Marseille (N 3, 5th division), hit in the arm against Ghana. The controversy has grown concerning not Moyadh Ousseini, who tested positive for Covid-19, but for Ali Ahamada. The latter had been positive for the coronavirus before becoming negative again the morning of the match. Like Tunisia, which obtained a waiver from CAF for Khazri, which came into play Sunday in the victory against Nigeria (1-0) less than five days after a positive Covid test, the Comorians thought that they could do the same.
But CAF proved intractable because of a new regulation. The continental authorities have published a directive which requires a positive player to remain isolated for five days. “Tested positive on January 22, the Comorian player must wait five days before taking the post-Covid-19 assessment and returning to the match after approval by the medical commission”, explains a CAF spokesperson.
No positive control among Cameroonians
For the 132nd nation in the world, the task promised to be impossible. To compensate for these absences, Jean-Daniel Padovani, the goalkeeper coach, chose Chaker Alhadhur, the defender of AC Ajaccio (Ligue 2). The 30-year-old player (ex Nantes, Bayonne, Caen and Châteauroux), will remember this match for a long time.
On a strike from Toko Ekambi, Ajaccien lost (1-0, 29th). Like a real goalkeeper, from the height of his 1.72m, Alhadhur deflects a header from Ngamaleu (48th) with his foot then makes a double save in front of Aboubakar and Ngamaleu (53rd). On the other hand, he can do nothing in front of Aboubakar (2-0, 70th). Before M’Changama saves the honor with a 30m free kick (2-1, 81st) and shakes the Cameroonians to the end.
“We knew it was going to be complicated, says Chaker Alhadhur, at the microphone of beIN Sports. I don’t even know if in the history of football, if there has ever been this kind of event. We knew it was going to be complicated. Me, I will retain only the positive of this CAN. We can come out with our heads held high, very proud and with dignity from this competition. »
For Cameroon, who will face the surprising Gambia in the quarterfinals on Saturday, victorious over Guinea (1-0) a little earlier, the royal road to the title opens. More surprisingly, the host country is the only one of the 24 qualified for this CAN not to have had players affected by Covid-19. Another controversy commented on by the coach of the Comoros, Amir Abdou, placed in isolation, being positive for Covid but having no symptoms: “Do they need that against us? What’s funny is that while doing the tests, he took pictures and with a little smile, this smile that tells you: Something is happening. I have already experienced it. The PCR can become an additional weapon for a country or a club. »