Marrakech, Morocco – In a highly anticipated Group F encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon clashed at the Stade de Marrakech on Sunday, December 28. Both teams entered the match with a victory in their opening game, setting the stage for a battle for the top spot in the group and a likely guaranteed spot in the knockout stage.
Match Context
Defending champions Côte d'Ivoire began their title defense with a narrow 1-0 victory over Mozambique, while Cameroon secured a 1-0 win against Gabon. The Ivorians, under the guidance of Emerse Fae, aimed to become the first nation since Egypt in 2010 to successfully defend their AFCON title. Cameroon, now coached by David Pagou, were looking to reassert their dominance on the continent after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Team News and Lineups
Côte d'Ivoire's starting XI featured Yahia Fofana in goal; Guéla Doué, Odilon Kossounou, Evan N'Dicka, and Ghislain Konan in defense; Franck Kessié, Seko Fofana, and Ibrahim Sangaré in midfield; and Amad Diallo, Yan Diomande, and Vakoun Issouf Bayo in attack. Wilfried Zaha started on the bench.
Cameroon countered with Devis Epassy in goal; Che Malone Junior, Samuel Kotto, and Nouhou Tolo in defense; Junior Tchamadeu and Darlin Yongwa as wing-backs/midfielders; Danny Namaso, Carlos Baleba, and Arthur Avom Ebong in central midfield; and Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Kofane leading the attack.
Match Dynamics
The match brought together two continental heavyweights with a long history. Historically, encounters between Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon have been closely contested. Prior to this match, they had met 21 times, with Côte d'Ivoire holding a slight edge with 10 wins to Cameroon's nine, and two draws.
Both sides adopted contrasting approaches. Côte d'Ivoire relied on midfield control and creativity, with Kessié and Sangaré providing physical presence and Seko Fofana dictating the tempo. Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande offered pace and attacking threat. Cameroon focused on athleticism and direct attacking play, with Bryan Mbeumo being the main threat.
Other Group F Developments
In another Group F match earlier on Sunday, Mozambique recorded a 3-2 victory over Gabon. This win marked Mozambique's first AFCON win since 1986. With these results, the standings in Group F are finely poised.
AFCON 2025 Overview
The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 is being hosted in Morocco, with matches taking place in multiple cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, and Marrakech. The tournament features 24 teams divided into six groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage. The tournament is scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
