South Africa and Cameroon will meet at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, and for the first time this century, when they clash in the Round of 16 at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat. Kick-off for the match is at 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT) on 4 January.

Their only previous meeting at the AFCON came in the opening game of the 1996 tournament, where hosts South Africa secured a 3-0 victory at Soccer City. Goals from Phil Masinga, Mark Williams and John Moshoeu set Bafana Bafana on course for their maiden continental title.

South Africa’s return to international football in 1992 saw them face Cameroon in Durban in a friendly on 7 July 1992, with Doctor Khumalo converting a 79th-minute penalty in a 1-0 win.

Overall, the sides have met nine times, with South Africa winning three matches, Cameroon one, and five encounters ending in draws.

Current South Africa coach Hugo Broos was in charge of Cameroon when the teams met during qualification for the 2017 AFCON. Their first match, played in Limbe on 26 March 2016, ended in a 2-2 draw. Tokelo Rantie gave South Africa a 17th-minute lead, Sebastian Siani equalised in first-half stoppage time, Hlompho Kekana restored Bafana’s advantage in the 51st minute, before Nicolas Nkoulou levelled again in the 66th minute.

The return fixture in Durban on 29 March 2016 finished 0-0. Cameroon qualified for the finals in Gabon, while South Africa failed to qualify.

Cameroon’s only victory over South Africa was a 2-1 friendly win on 9 July 1992.

South Africa are unbeaten in seven matches against Cameroon since that defeat in July 1992 (W2 D5).

The last three meetings between the teams have all ended in draws, including a friendly on 10 January 2015 and both matches in 2017 AFCON qualification.

The last winner in this fixture was South Africa, who won a friendly international 3-2 on 19 November 2008. Teko Modise scored twice and Bernard Parker added the third, while Cameroon’s goals came from Ngom Kome and Somen Tehoi.

South Africa have scored in eight of their nine meetings with Cameroon, failing only in a 0-0 draw during 2017 AFCON qualification.

South Africa have kept three clean sheets against Cameroon, while the Indomitable Lions have kept one.

Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele featured as a substitute in the opening match of the 1996 AFCON against Cameroon and also played in a 1-1 friendly draw in December 1994.

Hugo Broos led Cameroon to their fifth AFCON title in 2017. He was Cameroon coach between March 2016 and November 2017, overseeing 25 matches (P25 W9 D10 L6).

At the 2017 AFCON, Broos’ Cameroon side defeated Senegal on penalties in the quarter-finals following a 0-0 draw, beat Ghana 2-0 in the semi-finals, and overcame Egypt 2-1 in the final.



PAST MEETINGS
OVERALL
South Africa: P9 W3 D5 L1 GF14 GA9 GD+5
Cameroon: P9 W1 D5 L3 GF9 GA14 GD-5

AFCON ONLY
South Africa: P1 W1 D0 L0 GF3 GA0 GD+3
Cameroon: P1 W0 D0 L1 GF0 GA3 GD-3



PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1996 – Group A – 13 January 1996
South Africa 3 (Masinga 14’, Williams 37’, Moshoeu 55’) Cameroon 0



South Africa – Key Statistics
· Won two group matches, defeating Angola 2-1 and Zimbabwe 3-2, either side of a 1-0 loss to Egypt

· Won two group games at an AFCON finals for the first time since 2000 and for only the third time overall (also 1996)

· Last five AFCON group-stage wins have all come against Southern African opposition

· Won their final group game for the first time since 2002; had failed to do so in seven tournaments (D4 L3)

· A win in open play would mark three victories at the same AFCON finals for the first time since 2000

· Have previously registered three or more wins in open play at AFCON in 1996 (5), 1998 (3) and 2000 (3)

· Victory in open play would secure successive AFCON wins for the first time since 2000

· Competing in the Round of 16 for the third time; won both previous encounters (2019 vs Egypt, 2023 vs Morocco)

· Yet to concede a goal in the Round of 16

· Both previous Round of 16 wins came in open play

· All three Round of 16 goals scored have come in the second half

· Victory would send them to the quarter-finals for a seventh time

· Could reach three successive AFCON quarter-finals for the second time

· Involved in five AFCON penalty shoot-outs (W3 L2)

· Won three shoot-outs at the 2023 AFCON

· Only one AFCON extra-time win in open play: 2-1 vs DRC in the 1998 semi-finals

· Conceded in all three group games; last conceded in four successive matches at one finals in 1998

· Hugo Broos is unbeaten in AFCON knockout matches in open play (W3 D4)

· Broos has taken part in four AFCON penalty shoot-outs (W2 L2)

· A Bafana victory would send Broos to his third AFCON quarter-final

· A goal would see South Africa score in successive AFCON matches for the first time since 2019

· Lyle Foster has been involved in four goals (2 goals, 2 assists)

· Foster and Oswin Appollis have both scored twice

· Another goal for either would make them the first South African to score three goals at AFCON since Shaun Bartlett in 2000

· Foster and Appollis have both scored from four shots on target

· Three of Appollis’ four shots on target came against Zimbabwe

· Appollis had nine touches in the opposition box against Zimbabwe, the most in the match

· Tshepang Moremi scored South Africa’s second-fastest AFCON goal ever (6:22)

· Aubrey Modiba created five chances vs Zimbabwe, the most by a South African at AFCON since 2008

· Faced three shots vs Zimbabwe and conceded twice

· Ronwen Williams has conceded in all three matches, a first for him at AFCON

· Williams’ next appearance will be his 15th at AFCON

· Attempted 1482 passes, fourth-most of any team

· Pass accuracy of 86%

· Used just 17 players

· Six players have completed all three matches

· Had 67% possession vs Zimbabwe



Cameroon – Key Statistics
· Qualified for the knockout rounds after defeating Gabon, drawing with Côte d’Ivoire and beating Mozambique

· Came from behind to beat Mozambique, the first time they had done so in open play since 2021

· This is their 99th AFCON match

· Victory over Mozambique was their 48th AFCON win

· Scored four group-stage goals, their lowest tally since 2019

· Conceded just two group-stage goals, their best return since 2019

· Appearing in the knockout rounds for the 17th time

· Fifth successive knockout-stage appearance

· Last failed to reach the knockouts in 2015

· Victory would take them to an 11th AFCON quarter-final

· Involved in nine AFCON penalty shoot-outs (W6 L3)

· Took part in the longest AFCON shoot-out in 2006 (lost 12-11 to Côte d’Ivoire)

· Two AFCON matches decided in extra time in open play

· Only one loss in their last six penalty shoot-outs

· Fourth appearance in the Round of 16

· Eliminated at this stage in 2019 and 2023

· Passed the Round of 16 only once, in 2021

· Scored four goals in three Round of 16 matches

· Yet to keep a clean sheet in a Round of 16 match

· All Round of 16 games decided in 90 minutes

· Christian Kofane scored the winner vs Mozambique and had six shots

· Scored four goals from 11 shots on target (13% conversion)

· Benefited from two own goals

· Only one clean sheet in their last eight AFCON matches

· Scored in all three matches at the current tournament

· Completed just 268 passes vs Mozambique

· Attempted 992 passes overall (21st overall)

· Faced only six shots on target across three matches

· Bryan Mbeumo has created eight chances

· Used 22 players; only Dévis Epassy has played all 270 minutes