Sun Jan 04 21:23:10 UTC 2026: Cameroon Stuns South Africa, Set Up Quarterfinal Showdown with Morocco
Rabat, Morocco – The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon clawed their way to the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on Sunday. Goals from Junior Tchamadeu in the first half and Christian Kofane shortly after the restart proved decisive, despite a late South African fightback.
Tchamadeu opened the scoring in the 34th minute, capitalizing on a deflection after a partially cleared corner. Kofane doubled the lead just two minutes into the second half with a well-placed header. South Africa’s Evidence Makgopa pulled one back in the 88th minute, setting up a tense finish, but Cameroon held on to secure the win.
The victory marks a successful tournament so far for Cameroon, especially after a tumultuous lead-up that saw the dismissal of coach Marc Brys and the appointment of David Pagou by federation president Samuel Eto’o.
Cameroon now faces a formidable challenge against host nation Morocco in the quarterfinals on Friday. The match is expected to be a high-pressure encounter, with Morocco seeking their first AFCON title in 50 years in front of their home crowd.
Earlier on Sunday, Morocco secured their quarterfinal spot with a narrow 1-0 victory over Tanzania, courtesy of a goal from Brahim Diaz. Despite dominating possession, Morocco faced a resilient Tanzanian side and will need to improve their performance against a strong Cameroon team.
First Piper 