Wales overcomes Boult knocks slow start to Aussies for six beat16 Italians as NZ17 take series MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2017 Kuwait Times NBA Power Rankings Page 18 LIBREVILLE: Cameroon team players and Cameroon’s Belgian coach Hugo Broos (C) celebrate with the winner’s trophy after beating Egypt 2-1 to win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final football match between Egypt and Cameroon at the Stade de l’Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville yesterday. — AFP Cameroon win Africa Cup of Nations LIBREVILLE: Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench to including back-to-back defeats in the UEFA Champions The last time a side came from behind to win the trophy score a stunning winner with two minutes left as League with Valencia at the start of the last decade. was in 1994, when Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1. Hugo Cameroon fought back from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 Egypt have been derided at times for a defensive Broos’s side also lost centre-back Adolphe Teikeu to an in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations final yesterday. approach under Cuper, but they played their part in this apparent groin injury just after the half-hour mark, with Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny had given Egypt rarest of things-a genuinely entertaining final. Nkoulou taking his place. The Lyon defender has been the lead midway through the first half and Egypt looked The Pharaohs had signalled their intent within two out of favour at this tournament, only starting in to be on course to win an unrivalled eighth Cup of minutes as a delightful cushioned pass by Mohamed Cameroon’s final group game against Gabon. But Nations crown in their first appearance at the tourna- Salah set up Abdallah El Said, but his firm shot was well thrown on here through necessity, it was he who pulled ment since 2010. But Nicolas Nkoulou, who had come held by Fabrice Ondoa in the Cameroon goal. Egypt his side level in the 59th minute. Egypt failed to fully off the bench in the first half, headed in the equaliser then opened the scoring midway through the first peri- clear their lines following a corner and captain just before the hour mark and fellow substitute od with a superb team goal. Benjamin Moukandjo crossed from the left for Nkoulou, Aboubakar slammed in the winner in the 88th minute. Amr Warda and Salah combined on the right and the who soared above Ahmed Hegazy to head past Essam That sparked bedlam in a near-capacity crowd of latter played the ball into Elneny in space in the area, El Hadary from six yards. Cameroon were revitalised by more than 38,000 in Gabon’s capital, made up in its the midfielder taking a touch to control and another to that goal, a partisan crowd lifted, but Jacques Zoua fired majority by Cameroonian supporters. It is a fifth Cup of steady himself before blasting high past Ondoa at his wastefully wide and Moukandjo blasted over from an Nations crown for the Indomitable Lions, a first since near post. It was a brilliant finish from the midfielder excellent position as extra time began to seem 2002, and the first time they have beaten Egypt in the who was returning to the side after missing his team’s inevitable. final in three attempts. Egypt fell just short on their last two games due to a calf injury. Then Aboubakar, who had been introduced at the return to the competition after a seven-year absence, start of the second half in place of Robert Ndip and the defeat will be especially painful for their coach SUPER SUBS Tambe, controlled a long ball forward with his chest Hector Cuper. The odds were now very much against Cameroon. on the edge of the area, poked it over the head of Ali The Argentine was desperate to win a trophy after a The last Cup of Nations final to feature more than a sin- Gabr and volleyed low past El Hadary in the Egyptian career tainted by rotten luck in finals at club level, gle goal came in 2004, when Tunisia beat Morocco 2-1. goal. — AFP Mkhitaryan stars as United pile on misery for Leicester “Last season everything was right and the players got confi- dence, now they are anxious. We have to stay together and Leicester City 0 keep fighting,” Ranieri said. Given both sides’ recent strug- gles, it was little surprise that anxiety was the prevailing emo- tion in an error-strewn opening most notable for Jamie Vardy’s tetchy response to a touchline collision with Eric Man Utd 3 Bailly. Riyad Mahrez, such a poised and inspired figure last season, summed up the malaise gripping Leicester when the LEICESTER: Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s masterclass left Leicester Algeria winger responded to an early sight of goal with a fighting for their Premier League survival as Manchester woeful strike that flew well wide. Marcus Rashford hadn’t United cruised to a 3-0 victory over the troubled champions scored in the league since netting against Leicester in yesterday. Jose Mourinho’s side condemned dismal Leicester September and the United striker, unmarked 10 yards from to a fourth successive league defeat thanks in large part to goal, squandered a good opportunity to end that barren run Mkhitaryan’s dynamic contribution at the King Power when he blazed over from Mkhitaryan’s pinpoint cross. Mata Stadium. The Armenian playmaker opened the scoring with could consider himself fortunate to escape with only a yellow a cool solo strike just before half-time and then teed up Juan card after the United midfielder lunged into a crude chal- Mata for United’s third goal after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had dou- lenge on Vardy. bled the lead. But, aided by Mourinho’s decision to switch Mkhitaryan United’s first win in four league games extended their into a more central role, United began to monopolise posses- unbeaten run to 15 and lifted them to within two points of sion and finally forced Leicester goalkeeper Kasper fourth-placed Arsenal in the race to qualify for the Schmeichel into action after 35 minutes. Ibrahimovic and Champions League.“I think we played like we normally Paul Pogba combined to work the ball into Rashford and the play. We played well and tried to win,” Mourinho said. “We youngster’s quickly-taken low strike carried enough power to are still in the same position but we are closer to the others force a fine save by Schmeichel. so we keep fighting.” Just nine months after their fairytale It was a warning Leicester failed to heed and United took the lead in the 42nd minute when Mkhitaryan punished a title triumph, Leicester are firmly embroiled in a battle to LEICESTER: Leicester City’s Austrian defender Christian avoid relegation after winning only one of their last nine mistake from Robert Huth. When Chris Smalling won a head- Fuchs vies with Manchester United’s Armenian mid- league games. Claudio Ranieri’s team are a shadow of the er in midfield, there should have been no danger but Huth relentless unit that ground opponents into submission last made a rash and unsuccessful attempt to win the ball in the fielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan during the English Premier term and have yet to score a league goal in 2017. centre circle, giving Mkhitaryan space to nudge it past the League football match between Leicester City and They sit one point above the relegation zone and face a defender and race clear of the Leicester defence before firing Manchester United at King Power Stadium in Leicester, crucial clash at fellow strugglers Swansea next weekend. beyond Schmeichel. — AFP central England yesterday. — AFP.