Cameroon opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 1-0 victory over Gabon in Group F, easing early pressure after weeks of unrest. Karl Etta Eyong struck inside nine minutes at the Stade d’Agadir in Morocco, and that calm finish proved enough in a tight contest.
The result moved Cameroon level with holders Ivory Coast at the top of Group F, setting up a significant meeting between the two teams on Sunday. Gabon, who had often started well at previous editions, saw that strong record halted despite creating several promising opportunities.
The decisive moment arrived early, when Bryan Mbeumo slipped a pass into the path of Etta Eyong. The forward finished neatly, but celebrations paused as the assistant flagged for offside. VAR intervened,
the review overturned the call, and the goal stood to give Cameroon a vital early advantage.
Gabon responded with periods of pressure, yet clear chances were scarce for both sides. Denis Bouanga had the visitors’ best opening of the first half, seeing a close-range effort blocked at the last moment. At the other end, Samuel Kotto met another accurate Mbeumo cross but headed wide.
Cameroon entered the tournament under new leadership, with David Pagou appointed after Marc Brys was dismissed. Brys had initially declined to step aside and even named a squad, but the group selected by Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o travelled instead and featured in this Group F opener.
The Indomitable Lions were also without several senior figures. Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Andre Onana were all left out of the final list for Morocco. Despite those omissions, the five-time AFCON champions showed enough control to protect the early lead against a stubborn Gabon side.
Cameroon suffered another setback when Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba did not return after half-time because of injury. Gabon almost took advantage just after the hour, when Bouanga found space but slipped at the crucial moment. Later, substitute Frank Magri struck the crossbar, missing a chance to secure a second goal.
This Group F meeting featured limited clear opportunities, reflected in the numbers. Cameroon recorded 13 shots compared with 12 for Gabon and edged the expected goals count by 1.0 to 0.66. Gabon had arrived with five straight unbeaten AFCON openers, but that run ended, while Cameroon repeated past success on Moroccan soil after winning the 1988 tournament there.
