South Africa and Cameroon face off in one of the standout round-of-16 clashes as they battle for a place in the quarterfinals at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The match will hold on January 4 at the Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat, and SportPremi offers a deeper insight into this showdown.
Match Preview
South Africa finished third in Ivory Coast two years ago and will be hoping for another superb finish in Morocco. They are led by former AFCON-winning coach Hugo Broos, who guided Cameroon to victory in 2017.
Bafana Bafana won two of their three group matches, losing only to group B winners Egypt in a fierce encounter. However, they conceded four times in the three group matches and must improve on their defence ahead of the crucial round of 16 clash.
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Cameroon, meanwhile, were eliminated at this stage at the last African Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria.
The Indomitable Lions have overcome the controversy that surrounded the team ahead of the tournament to book their spot in the knockout phase.
Defending champions Ivory Coast narrowly pipped them to first place in Group F, producing a stunning comeback from two goals down to record a 3-2 win over Gabon and seal top spot.
Cameroon won two of their three matches as well, but maintained an unbeaten record having also recorded a 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast.
Head to Head record
29.03.2016 – South Africa 0-0 Cameroon (African Cup of Nations Qualifier)
26.03.2016 – Cameroon 2-2 South Africa (African Cup of Nations Qualifier)
10.01.2015 – Cameroon 1-1 South Africa (International Friendly match)
19.11.2008 – South Africa 3-2 Cameroon (International Friendly Match)
South Africa have a slight edge in recent encounters, although the last three clashes between the sides have all ended in draws.
Form:
South Africa
South Africa have only lost once in their last eight matches, winning five times, recording two draws and one defeat.
However, Bafana Bafana have not kept a clean sheet in their last four matches although they recorded two wins out of three matches during the group stage.
Cameroon
Cameroon have also been impressive in their recent outings and they maintained an unbeaten record during the AFCON group stage, winning two and recording one draw in Group F.
The Indomitable Lions have kept three clean sheets in their last six matches and have not conceded more than once per match in their last nine.
Predicted Lineups:
South Africa – Williams (GK), Mudau, Modiba, Mbokazi, Ngezana, Mokoena, Aubaas, Mbule, Mofokeng, Appollis, Foster.
Cameroon – Epassy (GK), Tolo, Kotto, Malone, Yongwa, Baleba, Namaso, Tchamadeu, Avom, Mbeumo, Kofane.
Where to Watch
The match will be televised on SuperSport and SABC 2 in South Africa. In the UK, Channel 4 holds the AFCON broadcast rights.
SportPremi Prediction
South Africa 1-1 Cameroon (South Africa progress on penalty shootout)
It promises to be a thriller in Rabat, with both sides full of quality, but South Africa should just edge this tie and progress to the next round.
