|
|
Saturday, September 30
Wome's kick lifts Cameroon in shootout
By Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- The men's soccer gold medal stays in
Africa. In the Sydney Games, the "Indomitable Lions" rule, and
have their country's first gold medal.
|  | | Cameroon's Lauren Etame Mayer (left), Geremi Njitap Fotso (center) and Daniel Ngom Kome celebrate their victory over Spain in the men's soccer final. |
Cameroon used an own-goal off the face of a Spanish defender and
some deadeye penalty kicks in a shootout to win the Olympic
championship Saturday (Friday night EDT).
Pierre Wome scored the clinching penalty kick as Cameroon
outscored Spain 5-3 in the shootout, after the two teams wound up
tied at 2-2 after two overtimes.
If Wome was the hero of the game in Olympic Stadium, Ivan Amaya
was the goat. His own-goal eight minutes into the second half
started Cameroon's comeback from a 2-0 deficit, and he then banged
a penalty kick off the crossbar in the shootout.
The result meant a second straight Olympic men's soccer gold for
Africa, after Nigeria became the first African nation to win it in
Atlanta four years ago.
"I think this a motivational development not just for Cameroon
but for African soccer," said Cameroon coach Jean-Paul Akono. "I
don't think we are very far from (winning) a World Cup in a few
years from now.
"African countries need more organization and more seriousness
in their approach so that Africa can one day win the World Cup.
"To win the Olympic gold medal is absolutely wonderful," Akono
said. "We have won the African Nations Cup three times but this is
an excellent result."
Cameroon's triumph, the first time any athletes from the country
have reached the top level of the medals platform at the games,
also makes up a little for Africa's failure to get the 2006 World
Cup. In July, South Africa, long considered the leading bid, was
beaten in a photo-finish by Germany.
The final was played before some 100,000 fans at the main
stadium of the Sydney Games, where Australian fans chanted
"Cameroon! Cameroon!" to support the underdogs.
It was a dramatic finale to a tournament that had plenty of
thrills and solid soccer. Chile won the bronze medal by beating the
United States 2-0 on Friday with 33-year-old striker Ivan Zamorano
scoring both goals to take his tally to a tournament best six.
The women's title was decided on a sudden-death goal, as Norway
edged the defending champions from the United States 3-2 on
Thursday.
Spain took the lead in the second minute on a free kick by Zavi
and made it 2-0 just before the half on a goal by Gabri.
Cameroon came back in the second half, with Amaya's own-goal --
the ball bounced off his face and into the Spanish net -- in the
53rd minute and a goal by Samuel Eto'o five minutes later. Spain
then was reduced to nine men after the ejections of Gabri and Jose
Mari.
Spain, two men short, almost scored in the opening minute of
overtime when Capdevila struck the outside of the post on a free
kick.
Eto'o thought he won the game for Cameroon with seconds to go in
the second overtime, when he cleared the defense and shot home but
was called for offside.
|  | |
|
