On Wednesday night, the Indomitable Lions edged Mozambique 2-1 in Agadir to finish second in Group F, behind reigning champions Ivory Coast, setting up a mouth-watering tie against South Africa. The matchup carries extra emotion for Bafana head coach Hugo Broos. 

The last time Cameroon lifted the AFCON trophy was in 2017, under Broos’ guidance. This tournament marks the Belgian tactician’s final appearance at the continental showpiece, adding another layer of intrigue to Sunday’s showdown.

Hugo Broos was the Indomitable Lions coach when Cameroon last won the AFCON in 2017. Photo: X

On paper, Cameroon appears marginally more favourable opponents if FIFA rankings are anything to go by. The West Africans are ranked 57th in the world, just four places above South Africa at 61st. 

But rankings will count for little against a Cameroonian side desperate to reclaim their status as one of Africa’s footballing giants. Bafana enjoyed a relatively smooth path into the knockout rounds, opening with a 2-1 win over Angola, followed by a controversial 1-0 loss to Egypt, before sealing progression with a gritty 3-2 victory over neighbours Zimbabwe.

However, there are clear concerns at the back. South Africa have yet to keep a clean sheet at the tournament, with costly defensive lapses continuing to undermine otherwise promising performances.

Broos did not mince his words when reflecting on Bafana’s defensive frailties ahead of the clash with his former side. “We are making the same mistakes again. When you look at the first goal we conceded, one player ran past three or four of our players without being challenged,” said Broos.

“If you defend like that, we will concede in every game, and that must stop.”

The 73-year-old warned that such errors will be ruthlessly punished by a team of Cameroon’s calibre. “This is something I am worried about because it happened again. If we play like this against a team like Cameroon, we have no chance.”

Broos has also challenged his players to lift their intensity as the tournament enters its do-or-die phase, stressing that there is now no margin for error.

“I am not happy with the performance and the way some players are acting on the pitch,” he added. “We have to fight more, concentrate more and be more focused. If we think it is going to be easy, we are going to be in trouble.”

Sunday’s Last 16 clash between South Africa and Cameroon will take place at the Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00.

AFCON Last 16 fixtures

Saturday, 3 January
18:00 – Senegal vs Sudan (Tangier)
21:00 – Mali vs Tunisia (Casablanca)

Sunday, 4 January
18:00 – Morocco vs Tanzania (Rabat)
21:00 – South Africa vs Cameroon (Rabat)

Monday, 5 January
18:00 – Egypt vs Benin (Agadir)
21:00 – Nigeria vs Mozambique (Fes)

Tuesday, 6 January
18:00 – Algeria vs DR Congo (Rabat)
21:00 – Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso (Marrakech)

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh