Cameroon’s unexpected Afcon journey continues into quarterfinals

By Mark Gleeson in Rabat

Cameroon’s football team seems to flourish best in adversity, and this Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is no different, with the Indomitable Lions advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

A 2-1 win over Bafana Bafana in Rabat in the last 16 on Sunday means they keep up their chance to add to the five African titles they have already amassed, plus expunge the disappointment of failing to qualify for this year’s World Cup.

“Missing out on the World Cup was a big disappointment for us, but we’re a young group of players who are still growing together,” said midfielder Carlos Baleba, 22, after the win.

Cameroon have spent the past 18 months embroiled in a bizarre battle of wills between their federation, headed by four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o, and the sports ministry, which employs the coach.

Marc Brys was employed against Eto’o’s wishes, and the pair sparred publicly throughout the 21 months the Belgian coached the team. Brys had the backing of the government, who pay the team’s costs, leaving a frustrated Eto’o undermining his coach whenever he could but being unable to get rid of him.

It meant Cameroon, who have been to more World Cups than any other African country, bungled through their 2026 qualifying campaign, finishing behind tiny Cape Verde in their group and then losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a play-off for the best four group runners-up in November.

World Cup failure, combined with a landslide re-election win for Eto’o around the same time, saw support for Brys suddenly fade, and he was fired three weeks before the finals.

In his place, the unheralded David Pagou was appointed new coach, and a squad for the Cup of Nations was selected without captain Vincent Aboubakar or goalkeeper Andre Onana, who had previously expressed support for the sports minister.

Against this backdrop, little was expected from Cameroon at the Afcon, but as South Africa coach Hugo Broos said after they beat his team: “Cameroon play with a big heart, fighting spirit and are a physically strong, very tough opponent.”

Broos was coach when Cameroon last won the Nations Cup in 2017, when they were also regarded as an outsider after a series of administrative crises.

Cameroon were the first African country to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in Italy in 1990, overcoming the handicap of poor preparations in the former Yugoslavia, a feud between their two star goalkeepers, a Russian coach who had much difficulty communicating with the players, and a presidential edict that they include the recently retired Roger Milla in the team.

The then 38-year-old went on to be one of the Italia ’90 stars.

“I think they could surprise us again and go all the way and win just like they did when Morocco last hosted the tournament,” veteran coach Claude LeRoy said on Monday.

The Frenchman was in charge when they won the 1988 edition, overcoming the hosts in a fiery semifinal and Nigeria in the final.