Bamboutos End Playoffs on a Bitter-sweet note

The Mangwa Boys have closed their 2023 MTN Elite One playoffs campaign as runners-up, with 4-1 thumping victory over Gazelle FA.

Bamboutos made two changes from the second game, bringing on goalkeeper Kibyen Patrick and Benjamin Bieleu in places of Munya and Brandon Djoufack.

Gazelle FA left the team unchanged from that of the second game, as the Northerners engaged for their first playoff point.

Prior to the game, Gazelle had picked up four points from a possible 6 from Bamboutos, but it was the west side who started strongly.

Bamboutos opened the scoring from a set piece converted by Raphael Yapende two minutes after the half hour mark.

The Central African Republic left back stroke firmly past Marcelin Mbahbi at the far post.

11 minutes after, Bamboutos doubled the tally through defender Frank Atsama, still, through a perfectly worked out set piece.

The first half ended 2-0 in favour of Bamboutos and the 2023 super cup winners picked off in the second half where they stopped in the first.

Midfeilder Alex Benjamin Louke caught the defensive pair of Joel Djondang and Franklin Sanda napping with a superb solo effort at the 47th minute, before Nasser Njoya made it 4-0 some 3 minutes after.

Gazelle reduced tally through winger Sali Oumarou at the 78th minute but that was pretty much that, as the group B champions in the regular season ended as the whopping boys (bottom) in the playoffs.

Bamboutos ended runners-up in the championship behind Cotonsport, eventual 2-0 winners over Canon, which gifted them a record extending 18th league title.