South Africa coach knows all about ex-side Cameroon

Coach Hugo Broos is hoping to lead South Africa to Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) glory in Morocco, but standing in his team’s way in the last 16 on Jan 4 are Cameroon, the side with whom he won an unlikely continental title in 2017.

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The showdown at the Stade Al Medina in Rabat has the makings of a fascinating contest between a Bafana Bafana side building towards the World Cup and a Cameroon team who entered the Afcon in disarray.

Cameroon Football Federation president and Indomitable Lions legend Samuel Eto’o sacked national coach Marc Brys just weeks before the competition started, replacing him with local David Pagou.

Belgian Brys had just overseen a playoff defeat by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the same Rabat stadium where they will return this weekend.

That ended Cameroon’s hopes of making it to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but they have bounced back so far at Afcon.

They beat Gabon 1-0 and Mozambique 2-1 and drew 1-1 with the Ivory Coast in Group F.

Broos knows how dangerous Cameroon can be coming into an Afcon tournament despite the turmoil.