When Cameroon ruined a cherished Ghanaian dream

The name that inspired Ghanaian tears and nightmares nine years ago.

Most Ghanaian football fans know this Cameroonian player more than Samuel Eto'o Fils, arguably the greatest and most popular player to emerge from the ranks of the four-time African champions.

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Eto'oo was there too, on that hot evening in February2008, and it was he in fact who gave the decisive pass to his teammate N'Kong in the 72nd minute of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between hosts Ghana and Cameroon at a jam-packed Accra Sports Stadium.

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N'Kong, then a relatively unknown 29-year-old Indomitable Lion playing his trade at Mexican club Atlante, took just one touch before pulling the trigger: a beautifully curled shot beyond Ghana goalie Richard 'Olele' Kingson, the ball landing in the bottom corner of the net to break that hearts of millions of Ghanaian fans.

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As the stadium fell silent almost instantly, N'Kong raced to the corner flag, bursting with joy, celebrating with the baby-cradle style that Brazilian Bebeto had made so famous at the 1994 World Cup.

The goal ended up being the decider, knocking Ghana out and thus collapsing a much cherished local dream cum agenda that was dubbed 'Hot and Win'. On their own soil, the Black Stars were forced to mourn, forced to settle for bronze medals when it was the gold trophy that they badly craved after going just over a quarter of a century without a title.

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Coached by African coaching journeyman Claude Le Roy, himself a an AFCON winner with Cameroon in 1988, the Ghanaians had made their way to the semis by edging West African archrivals Nigeria 2-1 in the quarter final, that feat coming after topping a Group that featured Guinea, Morocco and Namibia.

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Cameroon, meanwhile, coached by German Otto Pfister, a familiar face to Ghanaians as he had coached the nation to silver-medals at the 1992 AFCON in Senegal, had beaten Tunisia 3-2 in a thrilling quarter final in Tamale. They had placed second in a group featuring eventual champions Egypt, Zambia - who would be champions four years later - and 1970 winners Sudan.

The Cameroonians would go on to lose by the same narrow, painful one-goal margin against Egypt in the final; while the Ghanaians would reluctantly celebrate winning bronze medals after beating Ivory Coast 4-2 in Kumasi.

Fast forward many years later and Ghana and Cameroon come face to face again in yet another AFCON semi-final; this time at the 2017 edition in Gabon.

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Not a single Cameroonian player from that infamous night is still active with the current team managed by Belgian Hugo Broos, but for Ghana, there are two remnants from the class of 2008, Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew, who are now captain and vice captain of the team respectively.

Gyan missed that game due to injury, and might miss this one too - recovering from an injury he picked up in the group stage against Egypt. Ayew, though, was then an 18-year-old with very little national experience who was surprisingly started by Le Roy that day.

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Both Gyan and Ayew will be eyeing revenge against a young Cameroon team as the Stars aim to reach a record 10th AFCON final.

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At the Stade de Franceville tonight, Avram Grant's men would have to overcome a difficult past - Ghana has never beaten Cameroon in an AFCON game; a record spanning three attempts - to book a final against Egypt, the side that won the trophy they felt was theirs on home soil nine years ago.