MTN Elite One Playoffs : Bamboutos, Coton Sport Emerging

The 2022-2023 Playoffs to determine the Elite One champions is on the rails. Bamboutos of Mbouda, Canon of Yaounde, Coton Sport of Garoua and Gazelle of Garoua are the four clubs to battle out for the title. The match opener of the Playoffs was a regional derby pitting Coton Sport against Gazelle.
The encounter was also a choc of extremes as defending champions, Coton Sport had to be at the best against a Gazelle side that no one saw at this stage in the beginning of season considering they gained ascension into the Elite One just last year for the first time. Outsiders, Gazelle played without complex and gave Coton tough times. But, Coton used their experience and scored a late goal through substitute Limane Moussa on the 81st minute after a jumble in Gazelle’s defence unable to clear the ball.
The second match of the day between Bamboutos of Mbouda and Canon of Yaounde started in the tribunes with fans of both clubs turning out in their numbers. A formality for “the Mangawa Boys” who always travel with their avalanche of supporters but new old habits for the Kpa-Kum.
On the pitch, the anticipated duel of strikers between top scorer Emmanuel Mahop of Canon (13 goals) and Junior Kemajou of Bamboutos of Bamboutos (11 goals) was crashed as “the Mangwa Boys” announced Kemajou’s absence due to injury. On the pitch, Bamboutos chocked Canon in the early stages with two goals. First on the ninth minute when Ali Alim Beto...