Nickname: The Indomitable Lions
Previous Appearances: 17 (1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015)
Best Finish: Champions (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002)
Who are they?
Arguably Africa’s most successful national side; their pioneering performance in the 1990 World Cup has never been bettered by a side from the continent, and while they’ve failed to match that showing on the global stage, their Nations Cup record stands up to scrutiny. Only Egypt (seven) have won more titles than the Lions, with two great teams – the 1980s and then Olympic gold medal-winning generations – each winning the Afcon twice. These days, however, while they remain Central Africa’s true powerhouse, they have struggled to assert themselves in the continental context.
Route to Qualification
The Lions won Group M without losing a game, and while they conceded just twice, they were hardly convincing in a pair of draws against South Africa. They scored just seven goals in six matches against fairly limited opponents; only three fellow qualifiers scored fewer.
Definition of Success
Cameroon will expect to be challenging at the latter stages of the competition, and a second semi-final appearance since they last won the title in 2002 would surely represent a successful appearance, even if it means the wait for a title will persist.
Biggest rivals
How Cameroon would love a big scalp and to eliminate the likes of Ghana and the Cote d’Ivoire! Should they meet Egypt, there would certainly be some spice, particularly after the Pharaohs beat them in the 2008 Final, while their match with neighbours and hosts Gabon on January 22 could be tasty!
Top Three players
Nicolas Nkoulou, Defender, Olympique Lyonnais
Much has been made about Joel Matip’s decision not to represent Cameroon at the Nations Cup, and while he’s a loss, the Lions already have one exceptional cultured defender – Lyon’s Nkoulou. He’s had a few testing days at OL since joining from Marseille in the summer, but has improved significantly and enjoys a strong relationship with Aurelien Chedjou.
Vincent Aboubakar, Striker, Besiktas
He’s not truly convinced at Bestikas, despite a few encouraging moments, and is yet to come close to realizing his quality in a major international tournament. Yet the promise is there – he’s scored three in the Champions League so far this term – and has found the net eight times in 14 international outings since the last Afcon. Can he keep these numbers up during the Nations Cup?
Benjamin Moukandjo, Forward, FC Lorient
Has become a much more consistent contributor since swapping Reims for FC Lorient in 2015, and has scored 20 goals in the season and a half since moving to Brittany. With seven in 15 so far this term, he heads into the Afcon in fine fettle, and at 28, he may never have a better opportunity to win the Nations Cup.
Who brings the African league flavour?
Frank Boya
At only 20, Boya has already looked the part in the Cameroonian top-flight with the APEJES Academy and has impressed in his handful of international appearances to date. Opportunities are there in the Cameroonian midfield, and Boya – who scored twice in the 2016 Cameroon Cup final – has the quality to assert himself.
How far will they go?
Cameroon have the clout to advance from Group A, particularly if they start strongly against Burkina Faso. However, however they qualify from the group – in first or second – they might struggle to oust any of the qualifiers from Group B in the quarter-finals.
By Ed Dove/KweseSports
@EddyDove on Twitter
