AFCON
South Africa, Cameroon Renew Rare AFCON Rivalry in Rabat Last-16
By Kunle Solaja, Rabat.
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.
South Africa and Cameroon will meet at the Africa Cup of Nations for only the second time when they square off in a Round of 16 encounter at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night, with kick-off set for 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT).
Despite their long-standing status on the continental stage, meetings between South Africa national football team and Cameroon national football team at Africa’s flagship tournament have been rare. Their only previous AFCON meeting came in the opening match of the 1996 edition, when hosts South Africa stunned Cameroon 3–0 at Soccer City, a result that ignited Bafana Bafana’s historic march to their maiden continental title.
Across all competitions, the sides have faced each other nine times. South Africa hold the historical edge with three wins, while Cameroon have managed just one victory, with five matches ending in draws. Notably, Cameroon’s lone success came in a 2–1 friendly win in July 1992, and the Indomitable Lions have not beaten South Africa in the seven encounters played since then.
The fixture carries personal significance for South Africa head coach Hugo Broos, who famously guided Cameroon to their fifth AFCON crown in 2017. Broos was in charge of the Indomitable Lions when the teams met during qualification for that tournament, with both legs finishing in 2–2 draws. Adding another layer of nostalgia, assistant coach Helman Mkhalele is expected on the touchline after featuring as a substitute in South Africa’s iconic 1996 opening win over Cameroon.
While emotions may run high, both teams arrive in Rabat determined to assert themselves in what promises to be a tightly contested knockout tie. South Africa are seeking to build on recent progress and surpass their previous AFCON outing, while five-time champions Cameroon continue their campaign with a squad their technical staff describe as still under construction but steadily improving.
With the last three meetings between the sides all ending in draws — including a January 2015 friendly and both 2017 AFCON qualifiers — fine margins are once again expected to define the outcome.
“If you win an AFCON with a country, there’s always a little place in your heart that stays for the rest of your life,” Broos said. “That’s the case with Cameroon and me. But tomorrow I can’t have mercy. I want to win because I’m the coach of South Africa now.”
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena echoed that ambition, stressing the team’s desire to go further than before. “The talk in camp is that we need to do better than the last AFCON. We know it will be tough against Cameroon, but we’re looking forward to the game,” he said.
Cameroon head coach David Pagou underlined the challenge ahead, praising South Africa’s cohesion. “They are the most cohesive team in this competition,” he said. “It will be a very difficult match, but it is a point of pride just to be here.”
For Cameroon defender Samuel Kotto, the contest represents the reward for collective effort. “A lot of work and preparation is underway. It’s a matter of great pride to represent our country — we are like a family,” he said.
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Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra saved twice in the shootout to help 10-man Mali to a 3-2 win via penalties after a 1-1 last-16 draw with Tunisia in Casablanca on Saturday and book an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final with Senegal.
Tunisia striker Firas Chaouat gave his side the lead in the 88th minute as he lost his marker to guide a deep cross from Elias Saad into the net.
However, Mali were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when substitute defender Yassine Meriah inexplicably used his arm to deflect the ball from a free-kick, and Lassine Sinayoko netted in the 97th minute to send the game to extra time.
Mali had been reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute when Woyo Coulibaly stamped on the ankle of Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri, and could have few complaints, but they put in a battling performance to snatch the win in the shootout.
Quite remarkably, Mali advance to the quarter-finals having not yet won a game at the tournament in Morocco.
They drew all three of their Group A fixtures but finished runners-up in the pool, and drew against Tunisia in Casablanca.
They will face West African rivals Senegal in Tangier on Friday, after the latter earlier defeated Sudan 3-1 to advance to the last eight.
TOUGH CONDITIONS
The wet and windy conditions in Casablanca did not help the spectacle, and neither did the early red card, but it took until the 79th minute for the first shot on target from either side as Hannibal’s curling free-kick was saved by Diarra.
Mali set out to defend once they went down to 10 men, and were reduced to half-chances until they were handed the opportunity to equalise from the spot by Meriah’s moment of madness.
Chaouat had the ball in the net again for Tunisia in extra time, but he was offside and the goal was ruled out, taking the game to spot-kicks.
-Reuters
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A double from midfielder Pape Gueye saw Senegal come from behind to ease past Sudan 3-1 on Saturday and become the first side to book a place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
They were behind after six minutes of their last-16 clash at the Grande Stade Tangier but Gueye scored two goals before halftime and 17-year-old Ibrahima Mbaye added a third 13 minutes from the end.
Senegal will now meet either Mali on Saturday in Casablanca, in the last eight on Saturday.
Senegal, the 2021 Cup of Nations winners, are the second-ranked team in Africa and, despite conceding early, showed their quality and strength to win in comfortable fashion.
Sudan took a surprise lead with a classy goal as the Australian-based Aamir Abdallah, who plays in the state league in Victoria, cut inside the much vaunted Senegal defence and curled a left-footed effort wide of Edouard Mendy.
It was a shock setback for the highly fancied Senegal but they quickly assumed control of the game, dominating possession and fighting their way back to lead at the break.
Nicolas Jackson had a point-blank effort expertly stopped by Sudan goalkeeper Mongeel El Neel but a minute later Senegal were level when Mane pinched possession in midfield from Abuaagla Abdallah and fed Gueye, who stuck his effort into the corner of the goal.
Ismailia Sarr was brought down in the area five minutes later but the penalty award was overturned when VAR showed Sarr was offside in the build-up.
Sarr then had the ball in the net in the 43rd minute but was again denied by an offside call before his run set up Gueye’s second, feeding Jackson who turned the ball back to the edge of the area where Gueye side-footed it in with precision.
Substitute Mbaye got the third in the 77th minute to become, some three weeks before his 18th birthday, the second youngest scorer in Cup of Nations history as Mane was again the provider.
“We needed to dig deep to come from a goal down to be able to win the match,” said Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw.
“I give credit to my players for the way they focused on the game and recovered to win the match. Now we will focus on the next match by correcting some of the mistakes we noted in this game and pursuing our goals with intensity.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca, enroute Tangiers
The Super Eagles have drawn a line under their flawless group-stage campaign and shifted full attention to the demands of knockout football as they prepare for Monday’s Round of 16 encounter against the Mambas of Mozambique at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Head coach Eric Sékou Chelle, recently named Coach of the Group Phase, led an intensive Friday evening training session at the Sardienne Complex in Fès, with 25 players put through their paces. Also present was two-goal, two-assist forward Ademola Lookman, whose form has been central to Nigeria’s perfect nine-point haul from the group phase.
England-based defender Ryan Alebiosu was absent from the session as he continues recovery from a leg injury sustained during Tuesday’s 3–1 victory over Uganda, a result that sealed Nigeria’s maximum points return.
Greece-based forward Cyriel Dessers has returned to his club due to a thigh injury, while midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi missed training after coming down with a cold, having featured as a second-half substitute in the win over the Cranes of Uganda.
Chelle has emphasised to his players that the tournament now demands a different mentality, urging them to embrace the discipline and pragmatism required in knockout football rather than chasing spectacle.
Nigeria’s group-stage exploits also pushed their Africa Cup of Nations scoring tally to 152 goals in 107 matches since their debut at the finals in Ghana in 1963, underlining the Super Eagles’ enduring presence at the continental showpiece.
The French-born tactician remains unbeaten in regulation time in 13 competitive matches since his first outing with Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali last March.
His side have only tasted defeat on two occasions during his tenure — the penalty shootout heartbreak against DR Congo in a World Cup playoff in Rabat and a 2–1 friendly loss to Egypt in Cairo last month.
Reacting to his Group Phase coaching honour, Chelle was quick to deflect personal praise.
“I am happy about this recognition,” he said. “But I want to give the credit to my backroom staff who work tirelessly to make the team function. This is good motivation for me, the players and the entire squad.
“However, this is not why we are here. We are here for something bigger and better. We will not get ahead of ourselves. We will continue to work hard and stay focused for every match as it comes.”
Nigeria face Mozambique national football team on Monday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake as the Super Eagles look to translate group-stage excellence into knockout success.
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