The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon secured their passage to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Sunday with a gritty 2-1 victory over South Africa at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat. Junior Tchamadeu and teenage sensation Christian Kofane provided the goals either side of the interval to eliminate the 2023 bronze medalists.
This victory marks a significant milestone for the five-time champions, who must now prepare for a titanic last-eight confrontation against tournament hosts Morocco this coming Friday.
South Africa began the encounter with significant attacking intent, squandering a major opportunity within the first seven minutes when Orlando Pirates’ Relebohile Mofokeng fired over the bar following a defensive lapse by Che Malone.
The “Mambas” suffered further frustration shortly after when the assistant referee disallowed a Lyle Foster strike for offside. Cameroon capitalized on these misses in the 34th minute when the South African backline failed to effectively clear a corner. Carlos Baleba fired a deflected effort into the path of Stoke City full-back Junior Tchamadeu, who calmly slotted the ball home from close range.
Following a lengthy VAR review that eventually confirmed the opening goal, Cameroon entered the second half with renewed vigor. They doubled their advantage just two minutes after the restart when substitute Mahamadou Nagida delivered an inch-perfect cross for Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane to head home. Despite the two-goal deficit, South Africa refused to capitulate, forcing Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy into several high-quality saves from Teboho Mokoena and Samukele Kabini. Evidence Makgopa eventually narrowed the margin in the 88th minute after converting an Aubrey Modiba cross, but Cameroon successfully navigated a tense period of stoppage time to seal the win.
This progression represents a major triumph for Cameroon’s new head coach, David Pagou, who recently replaced Marc Brys following a period of administrative upheaval led by federation president Samuel Eto’o. Pagou successfully outmaneuvered Hugo Broos, the man who famously led Cameroon to continental glory in 2017. While South Africa now shifts its focus toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Cameroon moves into the quarter-finals as dangerous underdogs. The Indomitable Lions currently enjoy a psychological advantage as they prepare to face a Moroccan side burdened by the immense expectations of a home crowd desperate for their first title in five decades.
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