Goals either side of half-time from Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane carried Cameroon into the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the Indomitable Lions edged South Africa 2–1 in their last-16 clash.
Tchamadeu opened the scoring in the 34th minute at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, before teenage Bayer Leverkusen forward Kofane doubled Cameroon’s advantage with a header just two minutes after the restart.
South Africa mounted a late comeback as Evidence Makgopa pulled one back in the closing stages, but Cameroon held firm to secure victory. The five-time champions will now face hosts Morocco in a blockbuster quarter-final on Friday.
Cameroon can approach the encounter with relative freedom, with pressure firmly on Morocco as they chase a first AFCON title in 50 years in front of their home fans.
For the Indomitable Lions, reaching the last eight already marks a successful tournament following a turbulent build-up. Football federation president and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o dismissed coach Marc Brys before the competition, appointing David Pagou as his replacement.
Pagou outwitted South Africa coach Hugo Broos, who had vowed to show no mercy to Cameroon, nine years after guiding them to their most recent continental triumph at the 2017 AFCON in Gabon.
The result will be a major disappointment for Bafana Bafana, who finished third at the previous AFCON two years ago in Ivory Coast, though they can now turn their attention to World Cup qualification.
South Africa had early chances to seize control, with Relebohile Mofokeng wasting a gilt-edged opportunity inside seven minutes. Cameroon defender Che Malone misjudged a routine ball, leaving Mofokeng through on goal, but the Orlando Pirates forward fired over the bar.
Lyle Foster later thought he had scored, only for the offside flag to deny him. Cameroon then struck just after the half-hour mark. A corner was only partially cleared, allowing Carlos Baleba to shoot from the edge of the area. His effort deflected into the path of Tchamadeu, who calmly rolled the ball home from close range.
The goal, confirmed after a lengthy VAR check, sparked celebrations among the majority Cameroonian crowd of 14,127, with Eto’o—himself a two-time AFCON winner as a player—watching from the stands.
Any hopes South Africa had of a strong start to the second half were quickly dashed. Substitute Mahamadou Nagida delivered a cross from the left, and Kofane rose to head home his second goal of the tournament.
Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy later produced crucial saves from Samukele Kabini and a Teboho Mokoena free-kick, before Makgopa converted a low cross from fellow substitute Aubrey Modiba in the 88th minute.
The late goal set up a tense finale, but Cameroon held on to book their place in the quarter-finals.
