AGADIR, Morocco — Cameroon and Gabon will meet for the third time at the AFCON when they open Group F in Agadir on Wednesday.
The Central African rivals previously clashed at the AFCON finals in 2010 and 2017, with Gabon avoiding defeat on both occasions.
In 2010, Gabon defeated Cameroon 1-0 in their opening match, while their 2017 meeting ended in a goalless draw in the final group game.
Despite failing to score against Gabon in AFCON competition, Cameroon progressed from the group stage on both occasions, while Gabon was eliminated.
Notably, in 2017, hosts Gabon needed a win to advance, whereas Cameroon required only a draw; the 0-0 result allowed Cameroon to move through and ultimately lift the trophy after defeating Ghana in the final in Franceville.
Cameroon – key stats
Cameroon makes their 22nd appearance at the AFCON and is competing in their sixth consecutive finals after missing out in 2013.
The Indomitable Lions are five-time champions (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017) and the second most successful nation in AFCON history behind Egypt.
Their last title came in 2017 with a 2-1 win over Egypt in the final, while they have reached seven finals overall, only behind Egypt (10) and Ghana (9), cafonline.com reported.
Cameroon has a solid record in opening matches (P20 W10 D6 L4) and have lost just one of their last 12 AFCON group games since 2015. However, they have conceded in each of their last six group-stage matches and last kept a clean sheet in 2019 against Benin.
Cameroon qualified for this edition unbeaten, conceding only two goals, although key players Andre Onana and Vincent Aboubakar are missing. Aboubakar scored three goals in qualifying and netted eight at AFCON 2021.
Gabon – key stats
Gabon is making their ninth AFCON appearance, having first qualified in 1994. They missed the 2023 edition, with their last appearance coming in 2021. Gabon’s best finishes include quarter-final runs in 1996 and 2012, while they have exited at the group stage four times.
The Panthers have a strong record in opening matches, unbeaten in their last five AFCON openers and scoring in seven of their eight first games.
They defeated Cameroon 1-0 in their 2010 AFCON opener. Gabon are on a six-match unbeaten run-in group games and have gone seven AFCON matches unbeaten in open play.
The team qualified as runners-up in their group behind hosts Morocco, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Shavy Babicka joint top scorers in qualifying. Aubameyang will feature in his fifth AFCON finals, having scored six goals and provided four assists for Gabon in previous tournaments.
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