Pre-AFCON Friendlies Wrap Up: Holders Cameroon Win Africa Cup Warm-Up, Ghana Lose To Namibia

Defending champions Cameroon edged Zambia 2-1 and Ghana lost 1-0 to Namibia on Sunday in warm-up matches for the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on June 21 in Egypt.

Playing their first friendly ahead of the 24-nation tournament, Cameroon built a two-goal lead through Paul-Georges Ntep and Joel Tagueu in Madrid.

Mwape Musonda, the leading scorer this season in the South African Premiership, halved the deficit 13 minutes from time for non-qualifiers Zambia.

Five-time Cup of Nations champions Cameroon have drawn potentially powerful Ghana and outsiders Benin and Guinea-Bissau in Group F at the biennial African football showcase.

In Dubai, Manfred Starke scored after 31 minutes as Namibia won 1-0 against four-time former champions Ghana, who replaced all 11 starters at halftime.

The result will lift Namibian morale before facing more fancied Ivory Coast, Morocco and South Africa in Group D, regarded as the toughest of the six first-round sections.

Uganda and Turkmenistan drew 0-0 in Abu Dhabi and there was a similar result in Marbella between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, who did not qualify.

Guinea's preparations started disappointingly when they fell 1-0 to non-qualifiers Gambia with Ebrima Sohna scoring just before halftime in Moroccan city of Marrakech.