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LIBREVILLE. — Burkina Faso came from behind to hold Cameroon to a 1-1 draw in the 2017 African Cup of Nations game at the Stade de I’Amitie in the Gabonese city of Libreville on Saturday night.

The Stallions of Burkina Faso and Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions were eyeing Group A top spot after tournament hosts Gabon were held to a 1-1 draw by Guinea Bissau in the opening game.

And Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte talked about his draw against Cameroon in glowing terms after Saturday night’s game that saw them come from behind to snatch a draw in the second Group A match in the ongoing Afcon 2017.

However, Duarte insisted that his players failed to follow instructions leading to many wasted chances that would have given him all the three points while also paying tribute to Cameroon, whom he described as a good side.

“One point is not bad but we did not want one point. We wanted the three points but after the game we want to see where we could have gone wrong,” he said.

“Cameroon have good players. They confused us when they changed their system, throwing my players in disarray but I liked our work ethic that ensured we got a draw at the end. We don’t have many players playing top flight in Europe, meaning we don’t have many players to choose from.”

“Cameroon displayed some good football. It’s a good team. For me when we speak about a good team, it’s the collective. Football and technique. Not just the names of the players but it’s a strong team. They were very strong and creative, very strong in one-for-one, very strong in counter-attack, but we gave them a run for their money,” Duarte said.

Duarte’s top striker, Aristide Bance, was benched, only coming in for the last 10 minutes, so it was Bertrand Traore and Jonathan Pitroipa who played a key role in the game for the Stallions.

Duarte explained Bance’s absence from the starting 11. “As a coach I know the calibre of players I have and what they can offer. I started a good team but as time goes on we will use Bance as required, but now my focus is on our next game which is a must win to us,” he added

Burkina Faso play next against hosts Gabon in what is expected to be a cracker of a game which both teams really want to win — badly.

On Saturday, Burkina Faso and Cameroon were looking to get men forward and force the initiative in the opening stages of the second Group A encounter.

Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa was called into action in the 13th minute when he produced a fine save pushing away Alain Traore’s free-kick.

A quiet period in which the two sides were struggling to maintain possession in the final third and create good goal scoring opportunities followed.

But in the 35th minute, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were awarded a free-kick in a promising area and Benjamin Moukandjo stepped up to take it.

The France-based forward curved a stunning 20-yard free-kick into the back of the net — beating Burkina Faso keeper Kouakou Koffi to make it 1-0 to Cameroon.

The Stallions of Burkina Faso then pushed for an equalising goal, but Prejuce Nakoulma’s shot from an acute angle was well saved by Ondoa.

The Indomitable Lions were leading 1-0 during the interval thanks to Moukandjo’s excellent goal from a set-piece on the edge of the Stallions box.

With his side trailing, Bertrand Traore rampaged forward six minutes after the restart, but he unleashed a tame shot which was easily saved by Ondoa.

Duarte, the Burkina Faso head coach, decided to make a change on the hour-mark introducing Banou Diawara as the Stallions looked to level matters.

With Cameroon looking solid at the back, Alain Traore tried his luck from range in the 63rd minute, but his effort flew over the crossbar without troubling Ondoa.

However, the shot-stopper made a mistake in the 75th minute spilling Diawara’s free-kick and Issoufou Dayo headed home to make it 1-1.

The Stallions had a late chance to snatch a winning goal from a free-kick, but Alain Traore’s effort from the set-piece was blocked by the Cameroonian wall.

Nevertheless, the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw on the night as they shared the spoils. — AFP.