AFCON 2021: 3 things we learnt as Group A wrapped with Cameroon as winners

Group A at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) came to a conclusion on Day 9 of the competition as both games involving hosts Cameroon, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia ended in 1-1 draws.

With Cameroon finishing first and Burkina Faso qualifying as runners-up, what lessons might Group A's final round of matches have left behind?

Cameroon's captain Vincent Aboubakar was the star man for the hosts once again as the Indomitable Lions were held to a 1-1 draw in their final Group A. With his goal, Aboubakar has now scored five or Cameroon's seven at the competition.

With Cameroon already in the Round of 16 and looking good to go beyond it, Aboubakar, who has constantly been a threat in front of goals for the Group A winners, could be adding to his tally. Should Cameroon get knocked out at any stage, Aboubakar might have at that point raked in enough goals to win him the top scorer award, even in absentia.

A 1-1 draw in their final Group A game with Cape Verde in Yaounde meant on the day that Cameroon have now lost just one of their last 13 matches at AFCON finals.

The draw also put a stop to Cameroon's impressive run of 6 consecutive wins, but their domination of Cape Verde showed why they were in such form. It is hard to tell when next Cameroon might lose a game. It seems very unlikely at the moment. The last time they did was against Ivory Coast in September 2021. Since then it's been a fine run of six wins and one draw.

The Stallions rode into the AFCON knockout stages despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Ethiopia. The draw would come on the back of a win in their previous game with Cape Verde.

Although they were unable to get all three points on the day, they did what they needed to do, which was the bare minimum -- get at least a draw.