Cameroon move into an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Morocco after a tense 2-1 victory over South Africa in Rabat. The Indomitable Lions led by two goals before a late reply from Evidence
Makgopa, and then survived heavy pressure as Bafana Bafana pushed hard in the closing stages.
The last-16 tie turned on goals from Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane, which arrived either side of half-time. South Africa created many early chances but struggled with finishing and key offside calls, leaving Cameroon to punish those missed openings and control most of the contest once ahead.
South Africa began sharper and forced Cameroon onto the back foot in the opening minutes. Relebohile Mofokeng raced clear after seven minutes but drove a one-on-one chance over Devis Epassy’s bar. Soon after, Lyle Foster found the net, yet that effort was immediately ruled out by an offside decision.
Cameroon then struck first on 34 minutes. Carlos Baleba hit a shot that deflected off Samuel Kotto and dropped kindly for Tchamadeu, who finished calmly from close range. The referee checked with VAR before confirming the goal, and that decision shifted momentum firmly towards the Indomitable Lions.
Just two minutes after the restart, Cameroon strengthened control. Aboubakar Nagida delivered a precise cross from the right and Kofane attacked the ball decisively, sending a powerful header past the South Africa goalkeeper. From that point, Cameroon tried to manage territory, while South Africa chased the tie.
Bafana Bafana responded with urgency. Samukelo Kabini saw a far-post effort blocked by recovering defenders, and Teboho Mokoena forced Epassy into action with a dangerous free-kick that was turned behind. South Africa continued to press around the box but struggled to create many clear chances against Cameroon’s compact defensive shape.
The breakthrough for South Africa finally arrived in the 88th minute. Substitute Makgopa reacted quickly inside the six-yard box, turning in Aubrey Modiba’s driven cross from close range. The late goal lifted belief, yet Cameroon closed ranks during added time and protected the narrow lead to book the quarter-final place.
FULL-TIME! Cameroon claim a 2-1 win over South Africa in the Round of 16. #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 | @tecnomobile pic.twitter.com/ihveG3HAftTotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) January 4, 2026
Indomitable Lions’ Africa Cup of Nations record and Cameroon knockout numbers
Cameroon, five-time Africa Cup of Nations winners, now reach the quarter-finals for the 11th time, equalling Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The Indomitable Lions have avoided defeat in their last nine AFCON matches when scoring first, a run stretching back to a 3-1 loss against Egypt in 2010.
Overall, Cameroon have progressed from 22 of 34 Africa Cup of Nations knockout ties, including finals. That success rate stands at 65 percent. Only Nigeria, at 68 percent, have converted a higher proportion of knockout games into qualification, underlining Cameroon’s long-term consistency at this tournament.
For South Africa, this is only the third AFCON knockout defeat of the 21st century. The previous two losses also came in quarter-finals, against Mali in 2002 and Nigeria in 2019. This latest exit, after a competitive display against Cameroon, maintains a relatively solid but still limited knockout record.
The result in Rabat secures Cameroon a high-profile Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final meeting with Morocco, while South Africa leave the competition after a late surge fell short. Historical data again highlights Cameroon’s strong knockout pedigree, and that experience now meets another major test in the last eight.
