AFCON 2021: Cameroon – Team guide, key players and full fixtures

Cameroon have a lot riding on a successful Africa Cup of Nations in terms of their off-the-field preparation and execution.

However, on the field there is a great deal of expectation as well: none of the Indomitable Lions’ five triumphs have come on home soil – a remarkable statistic in itself – so this team stands on the cusp of a historic achievement.

Despite the guarantee of a place in the competition already, Cameroon made light work of their qualifying group containing Cape Verde, Rwanda and Mozambique.

Indeed, their only defeat came at the hands of Cape Verde on the penultimate matchday, with the top of the group already secured. Over the course of 2021, and 10 internationals, Toni Conceicao’s side have a 6-2-2 W-D-L record, and they have not lost since a 2-1 reverse against Cote d’Ivoire on the second matchday of FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Currently, Cameroon are ranked 50th in the world and seventh in Africa, per the FIFA World Rankings released on December 23rd, 2021.

The Indomitable Lions have a proud history in the AFCON, being five-time winners. That is the second-best haul in the competition, and their most recent triumph came in 2017, when they defeated Egypt – themselves a nation with significant pedigree – 2-1 in a tense final to claim the title.

Their title defence was underwhelming, however. They exited the competition in the Round of 16 in 2019, losing a half-time lead to arch rivals Nigeria and generally posting unsatisfactory performances under former boss Clarence Seedorf.

Antonio ‘Toni’ Conceicao has been in charge since September 2019, following Cameroon’s disappointing Round of 16 exit at that year’s AFCON. The 60-year-old Portuguese manager has forged a cohesive, solid unit, first stabilising the Indomitable Lions defensively, before working on a 4-3-3 attacking framework that relies on the full-backs advancing and the team playing with control in possession and intensity out of it.

There were more than a few gasps when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa got injured in late November. The impact of an extended absence would have been terminal for clubside Napoli, but would have been even more so for Cameroon. The silky player is a calm, progressive presence on the ball, and offers much-needed verticality to a midfield that would otherwise be entirely functional.

Vincent Aboubakar leads the line in attack, but Cameroon fans have been waiting for Lyon forward Karl Toko Ekambi to catch fire in national team colours for a while now. This may be the tournament he finally does it. At the back, there is the experience and nous of Michal Ngadeu underpinning what is a well-drilled side tactically, and there will be a great deal of relief following the return from a drug ban for goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Jean Onana is a dynamic midfielder with a fine passing range, as well as the ability to time challenges and disrupt opposition moves. While Cameroon have quite a bit of stability in this department in terms of their starting players and Onana is carrying a bit of a hamstring injury, the Bordeaux man could provide a strong option later on in the competition if the hosts advance that far.

Andre Onana; Collins Fai, Harold Moukoudi, Michael Ngadeu, Nouhou Tolo; Samuel Oum Gouet, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Martin Hongla; Karl Toko-Ekambi, Vincent Aboubakar, Moumi Ngamaleu.

Burkina Faso will provide a challenge in Group A but if, as expected, Cameroon advance as group winners, the draw could carry them all the way through to the semifinals with minimal problems. Historically, the Indomitable Lions have a formidable record at this stage of the competition (they have won seven out of nine semifinals), so it would not be a stretch to think of them as genuine title contenders on home soil.