Cameroon record thrilling victory over Chile

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Melbourne: Cameroon scored twice in the last six minutes on Tuesday to snatch a dramatic Olympic soccer semi-final victory against Chile and keep alive their hopes of winning gold in Saturday's final.

Lauren, of English Premier League club Arsenal, scored from a penalty in the 89th minute to clinch the win after a closely fought match which remained scoreless until the 78th minute.

Cameroon coach Jean-Paul Akono said afterwards his team now hoped to become only the second African nation after Nigeria to win Olympic soccer gold.

"Gold has always been our objective and Nigeria paved the way for African football in 1996. Cameroon hopes to follow in their path," he said.

Cameroon won the semi-final, before a crowd of 64,338, without key players Geremi Njitap and Aaron Nguimbat, sent off during the team's upset win over Brazil in last Saturday's quarter-final.

Both Cameroon and Chile had several opportunities to score in the first half, played with heavy rain falling from midway through the term, but no one found the net.

In the 62nd minute, 16-year-old Cameroon goalkeeper Carols Kameni dived to block a shot by Chile's Ivan Zamorano.

The teenager was in action again in the 75th minute to beat out another close-in shot, this time by Claudio Maldonado.

Chile finally made the breakthrough in the 78th minute. Substitute Sebastian Gonzalez's shot was deflected by Kemeni and the ball rebounded off Patrice Abanda for an own goal.

Cameroon immediately stormed back, equalising six minutes later through Patrick Mboma, a striker with Parma in Italy's Serie A.

"Chile's goal managed not to lower our morale but to make Cameroon stronger," Akono said.

The Africans clinched victory after Mboma was fouled in the final minutes and Lauren scored from the penalty spot.

Akono said his team had attacked Chile as it had promised.

"Attack was the key aspect. Both teams created a number of opportunities to score," he said. "The two teams played well and it was a shame there had to be a loser."

Chile is now reduced to playing off for the bronze medal, with coach Nelson Acosta left to reflect on wasted opportunities.

"We didn't know how to turn the chances we had into goals and really hold on in the last minutes that were left," he said.



(c) Reuters Limited.