Difficult win for Coton Sport against Renaissance
The match started off perfectly for the Cotonniers, who opened the score only five minutes into the game on a Mbongo Ebanga intervention. He benefitted from a defensive error by the Ngoumou Blue and Whites as he stole the ball from Renaissance defender Robert Ntolla and wrong-footed the ‘keeper, Effa Nsoé.
At 1-0, the Cotonculteurs believed they had ensured the essential, but their advantage did not last for long.
In the 28th minute, it was almost the same action that ended in the back of the visitors' nets, thanks to a good effort by Ludovic Ndzié. The latter captured a poorly controlled ball off the Coton Sport defenders at the entrance to the penalty area, before striking past Coton Sport 'keeper, Loic Feudjou.
The score remained even until the break, and the second half was an extension of the first, a game lacking fluidity and punch from both protagonists.
But in the final minutes of the game, Jacques Haman took advantage of a mix-up in front of the goals of Effa Nsoé to give the final advantage to the Cotonculteurs, and also a bit of air to a team that has been beset by doubt for some time now.
“I think that coming out of the defeat against Union, it was important for us to win. That is what we did well. It is true that it was a little difficult against a very good Renaissance team, but we finally won it and it is good for the group,” affirmed Gabriel Haman, now team coach after taking over from Robert Boivin following his resignation last Saturday.
Thanks to this win, Coton Sport de Garoua are back on the winning track, following their defeat (0-1) on Sunday at the hands of Union Sportive de Douala in the 16th week of the Championship.
The Cotonniers thus garner three valuable points which take them back up to third place on the log with 28 points, before they head to Young Sport Academy on Sunday, their closest pursuer (27 points), in week 17.
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