Overview
Cameroon won a ticket to the quarter-finals after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Africa in the round of 16.
Christian Kofane and Junior Tchamadeu scored in turn, helping the "Indomitable Lions" control most of the match, before Evidence Makgopa narrowed the score for South Africa in the final minutes. Cameroon still maintained the necessary certainty to preserve their advantage, despite facing significant pressure in the final minutes of the match.
The ticket to the knockout round came after a relatively solid group stage campaign. Cameroon won 7 points after 3 matches, including a 1-0 win over Gabon, a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast and a 2-1 comeback victory over Mozambique. Under the leadership of David Pagou, this team possesses a tight defense structure, along with the ability to quickly switch positions to relieve pressure and organize counter-attacks.
Traditionally, Cameroon still belongs to the group of most successful teams in Africa with 5 AFCON championships. Although their most recent coronation was in 2017, their "DNA" knockout is still highly appreciated.
Notably, their preparation journey for the tournament was not smooth. Cameroon experienced many off-field upheavals, notably the sacking of coach Marc Brys at the last minute in the context of power conflict with FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto'o.
Plus not winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, these factors once threatened to misdirect Cameroon's campaign. However, they still overcame the turmoil to reach the quarter-finals and aim for the semi-finals.
In terms of head-to-head matches at AFCON, Cameroon has an advantage over Morocco when they have never lost to this opponent in the tournament, with 2 wins and 1 draw. Although the most recent meeting at AFCON was in 1992, the historical voice makes the rare encounter in the final round even more anticipated.
In the opposite direction, Morocco entered the quarter-finals after a minimal 1-0 victory over Tanzania. Brahim Diaz scored the decisive goal in the 64th minute from an assist from captain Achraf Hakimi, who returned from injury and immediately made his mark, helping the home team advance.
Atlas Lions topped Group A with 7 points thanks to victories against Comoros (2-0) and Zambia (3-0), and a 1-1 draw with Mali. Morocco closed the group stage with a goal difference of +5 and only conceded 1 goal. The ball control style helped them impose the game and create many opportunities, with Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi being the pillars in the front line.
Against Tanzania, Morocco continued to have superior ball possession but faced difficulties in converting the advantage into a gap, until Diaz broke the deadlock. However, the performance still showed calmness and ability to handle pressure in knockout matches.
Regarding the goal, Morocco pursued the first AFCON title since 1976. They came to the tournament with a streak of 16 consecutive wins in all competitions (including official and friendly). This streak ended with a draw in the group stage against Mali, but Morocco still maintained an unbeaten streak of at least 22 matches in all competitions.
Although Cameroon often has an advantage when facing Morocco at AFCON, the home team has a more positive recent head-to-head result, with victories in the two most recent encounters after a 9-match unbeaten period against the "Indomitable Lions".
Expected lineup:
Epassy, Kotto, Tolo, Malone, Nagida, Namaso, Baleba, Ebong, Tchamadeu, Mbeumo, Kofane.
Bounou, Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui, El Khannouss, Al Aynaoui, Saibari, Diaz, Ezzalzouli, El Kaabi.
The match between Cameroon and Morocco takes place at 2:00 AM on January 10 (Vietnam time).
