South Africa – Cameroon: Quarter-Final place on the line as Bafana Bafana face Indomitable Lions
South Africa and Cameroon will meet at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations for only the second time when they face off in the Round of 16 at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday at 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT), with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Despite their long-standing presence on the continental stage, the two sides have crossed paths sparingly at Africa’s premier tournament. Their only previous TotalEnergies CAF AFCON meeting dates back to the opening match of the 1996 edition, when hosts South Africa claimed a memorable 3-0 victory over Cameroon at Soccer City – launching Bafana Bafana’s historic run to their maiden continental title.
Across all competitions, South Africa and Cameroon have met nine times. Bafana Bafana hold a slight historical advantage with three victories, while Cameroon have won once, with five encounters ending in draws. Cameroon’s only success against South Africa came in a 2-1 friendly win in July 1992, and the Indomitable Lions have not beaten Bafana Bafana in the seven matches played since then (W2 D5). South Africa have also recorded three clean sheets in this fixture, compared to one for Cameroon.
The match carries added significance for South Africa head coach Hugo Broos, who previously led Cameroon to their fifth TotalEnergies CAF AFCON title in 2017. The Belgian was in charge of the Indomitable Lions when the teams met during qualification for the 2017 tournament, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws.
Broos will also be joined on the touchline by assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, who featured as a substitute in South Africa’s iconic 1996 AFCON opening match against Cameroon.
While emotions may run high, both teams arrive in Rabat determined to impose themselves in what promises to be a tightly contested knockout fixture.
South Africa come into the tie seeking to build on recent progress at the Africa Cup of Nations and to surpass their previous tournament performance, while Cameroon, five-time champions, continue their journey with a squad described by their technical staff as being under construction but moving in the right direction.
With the last three meetings between the sides all ending in draws, including both matches in 2017 AFCON qualification and a friendly in January 2015, fine margins are expected to once again define the outcome in Rabat.
What they said:
Hugo Broos (South Africa Head Coach):
“If you win an AFCON with the country, there's always a little place in your heart that stays for the rest of your life. And that's the case also with Cameroon and me. It will always be there, but tomorrow I can't have mercy. I want to win the game tomorrow because I'm coach of South Africa now. But it's a special game, I have to say that. That doesn't mean that we are not going to fight tomorrow.”
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa Player):
“The talk in the camp is that we need to do better than we did in the last AFCON. So we know it will be a tough game against Cameroon but we are of course looking forward to the game.”
David Pagou (Cameroon Head Coach):
“What we want to instil in our players is the need to stay focused and play to their full potential, relying on our own qualities. We are facing a very strong South African team that we know very well. They have truly reached a high level of collective play, having been together for a long time; in my opinion, they are the most cohesive team in this competition. It will be a very difficult match, but as I told my players, it is a point of pride just to be here.”
Samuel Kotto (Cameroon Player):
“A lot of work and preparation is underway in the team. It is a matter of great pride to represent our country. Being here is the result of hard work and the support of my teammates; we are like a family.”
Key Match Stat
The last three meetings between South Africa and Cameroon have all ended in draws, including a friendly on 10 January 2015 and both matches during qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.