Burkina Faso 1-0 Tunisia
Burkina Faso advanced to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after edging Tunisia 1-0 on Saturday evening.
The Stallions surprisingly started with their talisman, Aston Villa attacker Bertrand Traore on the bench while the Eagles of Carthage were boosted by the return of star forward Wahbi Khazri.
The game got off to quick start but the first clear chance came midway through the first stanza for Burkina Faso after Cyrille Bayala beat his marker to go through on goal at the near post by his shot was saved by shot-stopper Ben Said.
Tunisia also came close to breaking the deadlock a couple of minutes later after Khazri unleashing a dipping strike from outside the box that was parried over the bar by goalkeeper Herve Koffi.
The game continued to open up and Dango Ouattara eventually broke the deadlock for Kamou Malo's charges on the stroke of half-time after going through on goal, shrugged off challenges from two defenders in the box and buried his strike into the far post.
The North African side were fired up coming from the half-time break and Khazri had a big chance to level matters ten minutes in after a through ball at the back post but he mis-kicked his effort wide.
Ali Maaloul also had a chance to equalise for the Eagles of Carthage 21 minutes before time with a free-kick from the edge of the box but his cracking strike was repelled by Koffi.
Tunisia had a penalty appeal reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) 12 minutes before time after Khazri went down under a challenge in the box but the referee was not convinced after looking at the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Burkina Faso were struggling to get out of their own half in the closing minutes and they were reduced to ten men seven minutes before time after goal-scorer Dango Ouattara had a yellow card upgraded to red for a high elbow after a VAR review.
However, the Stallions frustrated Tunisia in the dying minutes to book a spot in the semi-finals.
Gambia 0-2 Cameroon
Hosts Cameroon booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating debutants Gambia 2-0 on Saturday evening.
Cameroon were on the front foot in the early stages and Aboubakar had a chance to give them the lead in the 14th minute after a cross by Nicolas Ngamaleu found him unmarked at the near post but fluffed his flicked effort.
Aboubakar remained a thorn in the flesh for Gambia, as he came very close to breaking the deadlock for the Indomitable Lions ten minutes before the half-time break with a free header in the six-yard box that was saved by goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye from point-blank range.
The host nation had a perfect start in the second stanza, as Toko Ekambi eventually broke the deadlock five minutes in with a glancing header at the near post after a cross by Collins Fai.
Cameroon remained in attack and Toko Ekambi doubled their lead just before the hour-mark and grabbed his brace with a tap-in at the back post after a cross by Martin Hongla.
Toni Conceicao's men were comfortable after that and Aboubakar had a chance to put the game to bed 19 minutes before time with a curling strike in the box that missed wide of the far post.
The Portuguese tactician made a double change ten minutes before time, as he rested Toko Ekambi, who was replaced by Clinton N'Jie and Pierre Kunde came on for Hongla in midfield for fresh legs.
N'Jie had a big chance to make it 3-0 for Cameroon in the dying minutes after going clear on goal from a long ball over the top by goalkeeper Andre Onana but his volley was saved by Gaye as the two goals were enough to seal a last fuor spot.
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