Cameroon Withstand South Africa Fightback to Book AFCON Quarter-Final Place

Cameroon overcame a seven-game winless H2H run against South Africa (L2, D5) with a deserved 2-1 win to advance to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

South Africa started brightly as they sought an early goal, and they dominated the early chances against a shaky Cameroon defence.

Relebohile Mofokeng had the first significant chance of the game as he pounced on some slack defending to run clear on goal, but he couldn’t keep his composure at the vital moment, sending his finish high over the bar.

Lyle Foster had the ball in the back of the net minutes later with an angled finish, yet his celebrations were quickly curtailed by the offside flag, and the VAR review showed he was clearly offside when the pass was played.

The Indomitable Lions largely toiled as an attacking force, with the killer pass often eluding them in the final third until they pounced to take the lead in the 34th minute. A corner wasn’t cleared, leading to a shot from the edge of the area that took multiple deflections before landing at the feet of Junior Tchamadeu, who notched his first international goal with a calm, curling close-range finish.

It took just two minutes for David Pagou’s side to double their advantage, making a perfect start to the second half as Aboubakar Nagida’s cross was expertly headed home from a narrow angle by Christian Kofane. 

Bafana Bafana made changes in an attempt to get back into the game, only to be continually denied by Devis Epassy, who was in imperious form.

Perhaps his most crucial save came on 62 minutes when he denied Samukele Kabini from close range, before scrambling across his goal to tip Teboho Mokoena’s free kick around the post minutes later.

South Africa continued to create chances as the game neared its conclusion, and after Khuliso Mudau failed to make meaningful contact with the ball as it fell to him in the area, they did force a grandstand finish as, with 88 minutes on the clock, Evidence Makgopa struck from close range.

But South Africa couldn’t find an equaliser in the five minutes of stoppage time, meaning it’s Cameroon who advance to the quarter-finals, having edged three of their four AFCON games by a single goal.