Two Cameroonians injured, hospitalised as fans celebrate semifinal ticket

Doctors in a private hospital in Douala are battling to save the lives of two Camerounian fans, who were involved in an accident while celebrating the semifinal ticket by the Indomitable Lions in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Host, Cameroun, picked the first semifinals ticket on Saturday evening thanks to Karl Toko-Ekambi’s double strikes against The Gambia in Douala.  It was the first time the people of Douala saw the Indomitable Lions play in the tournament following the deadly crush in Yaounde.

The Guardian learnt that the two fans sustained serious injuries in the wee hours of Saturday, while celebrating on top of their motorbikes.

Flags-and-banner-waving Camerounians took to the streets of Douala shortly after the match, making it impossible for other road users to go about their businesses.

One of the fans, identified as Samuel, was said to have sustained a serious head injury, when his motorcycle ran into a stationary vehicle in the city centre at about 10.40 p.m. The other fan was said to have injured his left leg, when he fell off from a bike.

Cameroun was hit by tragedy during their round of 16 tie against Comoros in Yaounde, which claimed the lives of eight people.

Following the mishaps, Police have warned fans to be wary of reckless driving when celebration victories. French-born Lyon striker, Toko-Ekambi, scored two goals in the space of eight minutes at the start of the second half, leading to scenes of ecstatic celebration in Douala.

Speaking after the match, the goal scorer said: “The Gambians sat back and made it difficult for us and their goalkeeper made some great saves in the first half.  But we came out in the second half, got the goals and saw it out. We are proud to be in the semifinals,” Toko-Ekambi stated.

On his part, coach of The Gambia, Tom Saintfiet, said: “We lost today against the new champions of Africa. We hope to bounce back in future AFCONS. We learnt a lot and we will be stronger in the future.”