Cameroon/South Africa: Cameroon Seek to Bounce Back Against South Africa in Group B Clash At TotalEnergies CAF U17 Afcon

2 April 2025
Confederation of African Football (Giza)

Cameroon and South Africa had contrasting fortunes in their opening game sat the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 as they prepare to meet in their second group game at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday (kick-off 14:00 local time / GMT).

Cameroon lost 2-1 to Burkina Faso, while South Africa rallied from 3-1 down to beat Egypt 4-3.

This is the second meeting between the nations at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON after they clashed in their final group game in 2015, a fixture South Africa won 3-1.

That meant they finished second in their group behind Mali on their way to the silver medal.

CAMEROON FACTS· In nine tournament participations, this is the sixth time Cameroon gave lost their opening game at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON. They also have one draw.

· A loss to South Africa will see Cameroon start the finals with successive defeats for the fourth time after losing their opening two games in 2009, 2015 and 2023.

· Cameroon have once previously, in 2003, lost their opening game and recovered to go on and win the tournament. They were defeated by Nigeria, but then won their second group game 5-3 against Ethiopia. They drew their final group game against Gambia 2-2 and then defeated Egypt and Sierra Leone in the last four and final.

· Cameroon's record in their second group game at the finals reads P8 W2 D2 L4.

· On both previous occasions when Cameroon have won their second group game they have gone onto win the tournament. In 2003 they won 5-3 against Ethiopia and in 2019 they defeated Morocco 2-1.

· Cameroon's loss in their opening game against Burkina Faso has now seen them go winless in their last four group games at the finals. They drew their final group game in 2019 against Senegal 0-0 and then lost to Mali and Burkina Faso in the 2023 group stages before their loss against Burkina Faso at the current finals.

· Cameroon's goal in their game against Burkina Faso ended a run of five successive games at the finals in which they had failed to score. Cameroon had gone 524 minutes without a goal until Mimbang Eyong scored in the 75th minute against the Burkinabe.

· Cameroon are winless in their last six games at the finals in open play. There were penalty shoot-out winners in that run in the 2019 semi-finals against Angola and final against Guinea. Their last win in open play at the finals was in their second group game in 2019 a 2-1 win over Morocco.

· In their loss to Burkina Faso, Cameroon had 69% of the possession and also completed 360 passes, while their opponents could only complete 105.

· Cameroon's Georges Esingala managed to complete 50 passes, the most of any player in the game. The most completed passes by a Burkina Faso player was just 15 made by Issouf Bara.

· Against the Burkinabe, Esingala and team mate Noel Doumbogo had 92 touches for Cameroon the joint most of any players in the game.

SOUTH AFRICA FACTS· South Africa's 4-3 victory against Egypt in their opening game was the first time they have managed to win their opening game at the finals (D2 L2).

· South Africa scored four goals in a game at the finals for the second time in their win over Egypt. The other occasion was in their 4-1 group stage victory over Zimbabwe in 2005.

· The seven goals produced in their opening game is the most number of goals scored in a game involving South Africa at the finals.

· South Africa's last four games at the finals have produced at least five goals in each. Seven were scored in their opener at the current finals against Egypt, while they lost their quarter-final 5-0 to Senegal in 2023. Prior to that, their final group game in 2023 saw them lose 3-2 to Nigeria and on match day two in 2023, they defeated Zambia 3-2.

· South Africa has conceded at least two goals in each of their last five games at the finals, conceding 15 goals in these games while scoring nine.

· All of South Africa's previous 18 games at the finals have produced goals. They are yet to be involved in a 0-0 draw.

· Of their 18 games at the finals South Africa have been able to score in 13 of them, failing to score just five times.

· Victory for South Africa will see them win their opening two games at the finals for the first time, and successive group games for only the second time. They won their second and third group games at the 2005 finals, defeating Zimbabwe 4-1 on match day two and Cote d' Ivoire 1-0 in their final game.

· In four previous participations at the tournament, South Africa have never lost their second group game. Their record in this game reads P4 W3 D1 L0.

· In their tournament opener against Egypt, South Africa had eight shots on target, scoring with four of them. Three of those shots on target were by Emile Witbooi.

· Neo Boloko scored a brace of penalties against Egypt. Those were the only shots on target that he had in the game.

· South Africa's Bokamoso Mokokosi completed 48 passes in the win over Egypt, the most of any player in the game.

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