Email
Print
Digg This
By Mark Gleeson
ACCRA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Cameroon striker Alain Nkong stole the limelight from more illustrious colleagues on Thursday by scoring the only goal against Ghana to send his side into the final of the African Nations Cup.
His 71st-minute strike to seal a 1-0 win came just nine minutes after he had come on as a second-half substitute in only his second appearance for the Indomitable Lions.
"The coach told me at halftime that I had to warm up because he was planning to make me play," said the 28-year-old, who recently won a league title in Mexico with Atlante.
Nkong showed a burst of pace to overrun the Ghana back four, latching onto a defence-splitting pass from Samuel Eto'o to score.
"I am very satisfied with the goal," he said. "It is the most important in my career. When I got the ball from Samuel, I already knew what I was going to do.
A journeyman striker with previous spells in Spain, Uruguay, Portugal and the United States, Nkong had never been called up by Cameroon before being named in the Nations Cup squad.
He made his debut as a substitute in the 5-1 win over Zambia in Kumasi on Jan. 26 but faces a battle for more playing time at the Nations Cup after the goal scoring exploits of Eto'o, who has netted five in the tournament, and Joseph-Desire Job, who has two.
"I stay focused and ready to help the team. I was a bit frustrated before but now everything is okay," he said.
