3 days ago
16
Who: South Africa vs Cameroon
What: CAF 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Al Barid Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
When: Sunday, January 4, 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We volition person each the buildup connected Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.
A crunch brushwood awaits successful arguably the necktie of the circular successful the past 16 astatine the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) betwixt South Africa and Cameroon.
The showdown astatine the compact Al Medina Stadium successful Rabat has the makings of a fascinating contention betwixt a Bafana Bafana broadside gathering towards the World Cup and a Cameroon squad that entered the AFCON successful disarray.
Cameroonian shot federation president and Indomitable Lions fable Samuel Eto’o sacked nationalist squad manager Marc Brys conscionable weeks earlier the contention started, replacing him with David Pagou.
His other fig connected Sunday, Hugo Broos, led Cameroon to an improbable 2017 AFCON title
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look astatine the mouth-watering match-up.
How did South Africa scope the 2025 AFCON past 16?
South Africa’s 2-1 victory against adjacent neighbours Angola was the archetypal clip they opened an AFCON with a triumph successful 21 years.
Oswin Appollis had fixed South Africa the lead, but Show had Angola level by the break, earlier Lyle Foster netted the victor from extracurricular the box.
Mohamed Salah led 10-man Egypt to a 1-0 triumph against South Africa successful the 2nd radical signifier match, and successful doing so, helium secured the Pharaohs’ spot successful the adjacent round.
The Liverpool subordinate converted a punishment connected 45 minutes, but South Africa were denied a spot footwear precocious successful the 2nd half, erstwhile Yasser Ibrahim appeared to grip the shot wrong the box.
The crunch crippled came against different neighbouring state for Bafana Bafana arsenic Appollis scored a punishment successful the final 10 minutes to manus South Africa a 3-2 victory implicit Zimbabwe.
South Africa finished with six points successful the group, 1 down winners Egypt.
How did Cameroon scope the 2025 AFCON past 16?
Cameroon opened with a 1-0 triumph against Gabon arsenic Karl Etta Eyong, assisted by Bryan Mbeumo, settled the crippled with his sixth-minute strike.
A constituent was rescued against defending champions Ivory Coast successful their 2nd lucifer aft Amad Diallo gave the Ivorians the pb successful the 51st minute, lone for Ghislain Konan to enactment done his ain nett 5 minutes aboriginal – Konan had laid connected the assistance for Diallo lone moments earlier.
Cameroon again had to travel from down successful their last radical signifier lucifer against Mozambique, with a thunderbolt from Christian Kofane delivering a 2-1 victory.
Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished level connected 7 points, and some had a plus-two extremity difference. The Ivorians topped the array due to the fact that they scored 5 goals to Cameroon’s four.
Who volition South Africa oregon Sudan look successful the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals?
The victor volition look the victor of the lucifer betwixt the hosts, Morocco, and Tanzania successful Rabat connected January 9.
Who are South Africa’s cardinal players?
Foster is the main antheral for Bafana Bafana, and has already netted 1 important extremity with his precocious victor successful his side’s opening lucifer against Angola.
Sipho Mbule has been fixed a relation of greater-than-expected work astatine the tournament, starting precocious up the park, on with Foster, successful an attack-minded setup.
At the different extremity of the pitch, Ronwen Williams remains a pillar of spot successful South Africa’s goal.
Who are Cameroon’s cardinal players?
With 7 goals crossed each competitions, Bryan Mbeumo headed into the tourney arsenic Manchester United’s standout performer successful an different mixed and chaotic play for the Red Devils.
An wounded kept Mbeumo retired of the erstwhile AFCON, but this time, the 26-year-old has a aureate accidental to clinch his archetypal trophy with Cameroon.
Carlos Baleba arrived astatine AFCON without immoderate major-tournament experience, but the 21-year-old has already produced performances that belie his age.
Have South Africa ever won an AFCON?
South Africa person won the tourney lone once, erstwhile they were the hosts successful 1996. Bafana Bafana were besides finalists successful 1998, portion they were the bronze medallists astatine the past AFCON.
Have Cameroon ever won an AFCON?
Cameroon lifted 2 retired of 3 AFCONs betwixt 1982-1986, beating Nigeria successful some finals. The 1984 rubric went to Egypt, with the Indomitable Lions the defeated finalists.
Back-to-back titles were secured successful 2000 and 2002, portion a further decision to Egypt came successful the 2008 final, earlier Cameroon lifted their 5th and past rubric successful 2017.
When did South Africa and Cameroon past meet?
The past brushwood betwixt the sides ended successful a 0-0 gully successful a qualifier for the 2016 ACFON.
The lucifer was played successful South Africa, portion the reverse qualifier successful Cameroon ended successful a 2-2 draw.
The sides person drawn their past 3 encounters.
Have South Africa and Cameroon ever played astatine an AFCON finals before?
The lone gathering betwixt the teams astatine an AFCON lawsuit was successful the 1996 edition, hosted and won by South Africa.
Bafana Bafana, making their debut astatine the tournament, were 3-0 winners successful the radical signifier encounter, which was besides the opening crippled of that edition.
When did South Africa archetypal conscionable Cameroon?
The archetypal lucifer betwixt the sides was of peculiar note, fixed it was South Africa’s archetypal lucifer aft apartheid ended.
Bafana Bafana claimed a 1-0 triumph successful the lucifer connected July 7, 1992, which was played successful Durban.
It was the archetypal of a three-game bid betwixt the sides, which saw South Africa assertion 2 wins to Cameroon’s one.
Head-to-head
This is the 10th gathering with the gully being the wide victor successful erstwhile encounters, accounting for 5 of the results betwixt the African giants.
Bafana Bafana person claimed triumph connected 3 occasions, however, starring Cameroon with conscionable 1 triumph successful matches betwixt the sides.
South Africa squad news
Broos confirmed that Sphephelo Sithole’s omission against Zimbabwe was a tactical determination and not injury-related.
Relebohile Mofokeng and Bathusi Aubaas are some battling for a place.
South Africa predicted starting lineup
Williams, Mudau, Modiba, Mbokazi, Ngezana, Mokoena, Aubaas, Mbule, Mofokeng, Appollis, Foster
Cameroon squad news
Captain Nouhou Tolo was forced disconnected with a hamstring wounded against Mozambique. He was replaced successful defence by Christopher Wooh, who volition beryllium connected standby erstwhile more, should Tolo neglect to recover.
Mbeumo and Baleba were some removed astatine half-time successful that crippled truthful arsenic to debar bookings that would person led to suspensions for this match.
Cameroon predicted starting lineup
Epassy, Tolo, Kotto, Malone, Yongwa, Baleba, Namaso, Tchamadeu, Ebong, Mbeumo, Kofane
English (US) ·