Cameroon coach on why pressure will be on South Africa in their AFCON clash

Cameroon coach David Pagou has thrown the challenge to Bafana Bafana ahead of the two teams’ meeting in the 2025 Africa Cup knockout round.

South Africa and Cameroon will face off in the Round of 16 with a ticket to the quarter-final at stake, where a potential meeting with Morocco awaits.

While Cameroon’s pedigree makes them favourites somewhat, given their stature as five-time champions, Pagou thinks South Africa will be under bigger pressure to win because of the great run they had at the 2023 tournament when they finished third.

Cameroon coach adds pressure on Bafana

“We are satisfied because we qualified,” Pagou told the media. “During the last Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa had a very good run. They will be under pressure because we are a team in the making.”

“It will be a very complicated match. We know South Africa are strong and stubborn opponents. They have a competitive domestic league and players who know each other very well, so the match will be complicated,” he added.

Cameroon have a young team at AFCON 2025 but have been impressive so far, beating Gabon 1-0, drawing 1-1 with holders Ivory Coast, before a 2-1 victory with Mozambique.

Meeting of familiar foes at AFCON

Pagou, who won the Cameroonian Elite One title with PWD Bamenda in 2020, was appointed just days before the start of AFCON 2025 but has fared well so far.

The tactician has come up against a South African team before, when his PWD Bamenda were eliminated from the CAF Champions League in 2020 by Kaizer Chiefs, while the Indomitable Lions will also face their former coach Hugo Broos, the Bafana Bafana boss, who lead them to their last AFCON title in 2017.

South Africa and Cameroon will meet at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday in what will be a 10^th meeting between the two sides.