Cameroon win soccer title and first ever gold

Add as a preferred source on Google

Sydney: Cameroon won their first ever gold medal in any Olympic sport on Saturday when they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with nine-man Spain and then beat them 5-3 on penalties in a remarkable soccer final.

The decisive penalty was scored by Patrick Wome. It clinched victory for Cameroon after Amaya, who had conceded an own goal in the second half, hit the bar with his penalty.

Cameroon now has the double distinction of being African and Olympic Champions in the same year. They have also emulated Nigeria, the first African side to win a global soccer title when they took gold in 1996 at theAtlanta Olympics.

In Stadium Australia on Saturday, Cameroon staged a stunning recovery after looking dead and buried at half-time when they trailed 0-2 to goals from Xavi (2nd) and substitute Gabri (45th).

However Spain's fifth-minute penalty miss when Angulo's weak spot kick was easily saved by 16-year-old keeper Carlos Idriss Kameni was to prove costly for the Spaniards, chasing their second Olympic soccer gold in eight years.

Cameroon struck back with two goals in five minutes early in the second half - the first an own goal off defender Amaya (53rd) and the second from Samuel Eto'o (58th).

They were then denied what would have been a sensational winner in the last few seconds of extra time when Eto'o was ruled to be inches offside before scoring what looked like being the golden goal decider.

After dominating the first half everything began to go wrong for Spain after the break. Gabri was sent off after 70 minutes for a bad tackle on Nicolas Alnoudji and Jose Mari was red-carded in the 90th minute for feigning an injury for the second time.



(c) Reuters Limited.