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Cameroon national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Cameroon women's national football team.

Cameroon
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Les Lions Indomptables (The Indomitable Lions)
AssociationFédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationUNIFFAC
(Central Africa)
Head coachMarc Brys
CaptainVincent Aboubakar
Most capsRigobert Song (137)
Top scorerSamuel Eto'o (56)[1]
Home stadiumOlembe Stadium
FIFA codeCMR
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 49 Steady (28 November 2024)[2]
Highest11 (November 2006 – January 2007, November – December 2009)
Lowest79 (February – March 2013)
First international
Belgian Congo 3–2 French Cameroon
(Belgian Congo; September 1956)
Biggest win
 Cameroon 9–0 Chad 
(Kinshasa, DR Congo; 7 April 1965)
Biggest defeat
 South Korea 5–0 Cameroon 
(Seoul, South Korea; 4 October 1984)
 Norway 6–1 Cameroon 
(Oslo, Norway; 31 October 1990)
 Russia 6–1 Cameroon 
(Palo Alto, United States; 28 June 1994)
 Costa Rica 5–0 Cameroon 
(San José, Costa Rica; 9 March 1997)
World Cup
Appearances8 (first in 1982)
Best resultQuarter-finals (1990)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances21 (first in 1970)
Best resultChampions (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
African Nations Championship
Appearances4 (first in 2011)
Best resultFourth place (2020)
Confederations Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2001)
Best resultRunners-up (2003)

The Cameroon national football team (French: Équipe du Cameroun de football), also known as the Indomitable Lions (French: les lions indomptables),[a] represents Cameroon in men's international football. It is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football, a member of FIFA and its African confederation CAF.

The team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup eight times, more than any other African team, and four times in a row between 1990 and 2002. However, the team has only made it out of the group stage once. They were the first African team to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup[5] in 1990, losing to England in extra time. They have also won five Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon is the first and, as of 2022, only African country to defeat Brazil in tournament play, beating them in the 2003 Confederations Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup by identical 1-0 scores.[6][7]

History

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1956–2000: early years

[edit]

Cameroon played its first match against Belgian Congo in 1956, losing 3–2. They first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970, but were knocked out in the first round. Two years later, as hosts, the Indomitable Lions finished third after being knocked out by their neighbours and future champions Congo in the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations. They would not qualify for the competition for another ten years.

Cameroon qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 1982. With the increase from 16 teams to 24, Cameroon qualified along with Algeria to represent Africa at the tournament in Spain. Cameroon was drawn into Group 1 with Italy, Poland, and Peru. In their first game, Cameroon faced Peru and drew 0–0. They then held Poland goalless before a surprise 1–1 draw with eventual winners Italy. Despite being unbeaten, they failed to qualify for the second round, having scored fewer goals than Italy.

Two years later, Cameroon qualified for the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Ivory Coast. They finished second in their first-round group before beating Algeria on penalties in the semi-final. In the final, Cameroon beat Nigeria 3–1 with goals from René N'Djeya, Théophile Abega and Ernest Ebongué to become champions of Africa for the first time.

Cameroon qualified for the 1990 World Cup by surpassing Nigeria and beating Tunisia in the final round playoff. In the final tournament, Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union. Cameroon defeated defending champions Argentina in the opening game 1–0 with a goal scored by François Omam-Biyik. Cameroon later defeated Romania 2–1 and lost to the Soviet Union 0–4, becoming the first side to top a World Cup Finals group with a negative goal difference. In the second round, Cameroon defeated Colombia 2–1 with the 38-year-old Roger Milla scoring two goals in extra-time.

In the quarter-finals, Cameroon faced England. After 25 minutes, England's David Platt scored for England, while in the second-half, Cameroon came back with a 61st-minute penalty from Emmanuel Kundé and took the lead with Eugène Ekéké on 65 minutes. England, however, equalized in the 83rd minute with a penalty from Gary Lineker, while Lineker again found the net via a 105th-minute penalty to make the eventual scoreline 3–2 for England. The team was coached by Russian manager and former player Valeri Nepomniachi.

Countries qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup are shown in dark green

The 1994 World Cup in the United States saw the adjustment of representation for African teams qualifying, from two to three. Cameroon qualified along with Nigeria and Morocco. In the final tournament, Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Sweden, Brazil and Russia. After a 2–2 draw against Sweden, Cameroon lost to Brazil and Russia sealed their elimination. In their last game against Russia, the then 42-year-old Roger Milla became the oldest player to play and score in a World Cup finals match. The team was coached by French-born Henri Michel. The 1998 World Cup in France saw the increase of 24 to 32 teams, with Cameroon one of the five countries representing Africa. Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Italy, Chile and Austria. Despite drawing with Chile and Austria (after leading 1–0 against them until the 90th minute), a 3–0 defeat to Italy saw Cameroon finish bottom of the group. Cameroon had three players sent off in the course of the tournament, more than any other team. They also had the highest card count per game of any team, collecting an average of four bookings in each match they played.[8] It was also during this tournament that a certain Samuel Eto'o was exposed to Cameroonians. He was the youngest player of the tournament alongside Michael Owen of England. The team was coached by French-born Claude Le Roy.

Post-2000

[edit]

Cameroon qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan, clinching first place in their group which included Angola, Zambia and Togo. Cameroon were drawn into Group E alongside Germany, the Republic of Ireland and Saudi Arabia. Cameroon started with a 1–1 draw with Ireland after giving up the lead and later defeated Saudi Arabia 1–0. In their last game, Cameroon were defeated 2–0 by Germany and were narrowly eliminated by the Irish, who had not lost a game.

Cameroon started the 2002 African Cup of Nations competition with a 1–0 win over DR Congo. That was followed by another 1–0 win against Ivory Coast, and a comfortable 3–0 win against Togo. These results led Cameroon to qualify from the group stage to the quarter-finals as their group's winner. In the knockout stage, M'Boma's goal in the 62nd minute lifted Cameroon over Egypt 1–0. Cameroon would defeat hosts Mali 3–0 in the semi-final on 7 February on route to repeating as champions by edging Senegal 3–2 on penalties following a scoreless 120 minutes on 13 February, and thereby qualifying for the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.[9]

There, the Indomitable Lions became the first African country to defeat Brazil, courtesy of Samuel Eto'o's tally in the 83rd minute of their opening match on 13 June.[6] Cameroon subsequently defeated Turkey and drew the USA before dispatching Colombia in the semi-final. However, the latter was overshadowed by the sudden on-field collapse of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé in the 71st minute.[10] Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium's medical centre, he died shortly afterwards.[11] An autopsy determined the cause of death to have been hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.[12] The Final on June 29 against France, consequently, became not about the game but rather an occasion for both teams and fans to honor Foé. France prevailed 1-0 following Thierry Henry's golden goal in the 7th minute of extra time, but abstained from traditional post-match celebrations. Instead, the tournament closed with one last tribute to Foé as Cameroon took a lap around the stadium holding a large photo of their fallen teammate.[13]

In the 2006 World Cup qualifying round, Cameroon were drawn into Group 3 with the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Benin. Cameroon led the group until their final game, when Pierre Womé failed to convert a late penalty. On 8 October 2005, Cameroon drew with Egypt 1–1 while eventual World Cup debutants Ivory Coast defeated Sudan 3–1, preventing Cameroon from travelling to Germany.

In Cameroon's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, the team was grouped with Gabon, Togo and Morocco. After a slow start in their campaign with a loss to Togo, the coach of Cameroon, Otto Pfister, resigned. Frenchman Paul Le Guen was appointed as the new coach after a draw against Morocco. Le Guen's appointment caused an uprise in Cameroon's spirits as they earned a win against Gabon in Libreville, followed by another win against the Panthers four days later in Yaoundé. One month later, they defeated Togo in Yaoundé by three goals. On 14 November 2009, Cameroon defeated the Atlas Lions of Morocco 2–0 in Fez in their last match of their campaign. Gabon was also defeated by Togo 1–0 in Lomé. Both results caused Cameroon to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals, held in South Africa.[14]

The Indomitable Lions were the first team to be mathematically eliminated in the 2010 World Cup, going out in their second group match to Denmark after losing 1–2, preceded by a 0–1 defeat to Japan.

Cameroon started the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations competition with a 1–1 draw to Burkina Faso, followed by a 2–1 win against Guinea-Bissau, and an unconvincing goalless draw against the hosts Gabon. These results were enough for Cameroon to qualify from the group stage to the quarter-finals, where they met Senegal in a close match that Cameroon won 5–4 in a penalty shootout after it had ended goalless in extra time. In the semi-finals, Cameroon met Ghana and won the match 2–0 to qualify to the final.

On 5 February 2017, and after a close match, Cameroon won the African Cup of Nations for the fifth time after defeating seven-time champions Egypt 2–1 in the final,[15] by Vincent Aboubakar's late goal in the 89th minute of the match.[16] As champions, Cameroon qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Cameroon qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar via the away goals rule after defeating hosts Algeria 2–1 on 29 March 2022 thanks to Karl Toko Ekambi's winner in the 124th minute of the second leg of their CAF third round home-and-away tie with The Fennec Foxes.[17] On 2 December 2022, in the final match of Group G, The Indomitable Lions made history by becoming the first African country to defeat Brazil at the World Cup. Vincent Aboubakar netted the contest's lone goal in the 2nd minute of stoppage time, and subsequently received his second booking and dismissal for removing his shirt during his celebration. It was the Seleção's first group stage loss since a 2–1 defeat to Norway in 1998 and Cameroon's first ever World Cup win since 2002.[18] Cameroon failed to advance from their group, however, as they finished third behind Brazil and Switzerland, respectively.[19]

After the dramatic qualification process for the previous World Cup, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon had to wait until the last day to secure their ticket for the AfCoN 2023 (scheduled to be played in January 2024) in Ivory Coast. Despite a relatively favorable draw for the qualifiers, which included Namibia, Burundi, and Kenya (the latter eliminated due to administrative interference), the Cameroonian team faced significant challenges. They struggled against the modest Namibian team, managing a 1–1 draw in Yaoundé and then suffering a 2–1 loss in South Africa. After securing a 1–0 victory over Burundi in the first leg, they needed to confirm their qualification in the second leg to avoid missing out on the continent's most prestigious competition, which would have meant watching it on television. In a packed Roumde Adja stadium on Tuesday, September 12, the Indomitable Lions secured their spot in the AfCoN 2024 thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo (46'), Christopher Wooh (59'), and Vincent Aboubakar (90+3').

Kits and crests

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cameroon national football team kits.

The Cameroon national football team's tradition color is green shirts, red shorts and yellow socks, colors of the national flag.

The Cameroon national football team had a long-term partnership with Puma.[20]

Controversy about sleeveless and one-piece kits

[edit]

Cameroon used sleeveless Puma shirts at the 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali, which they won for the fourth time. FIFA, however, did not allow Cameroon to use the same kits as at the 2002 World Cup, and black sleeves were added to the shirts.[21] The 2004 African Cup of Nations witnessed Cameroon again run into controversy regarding their kits. Puma had designed a one-piece kit for the Cameroon team which FIFA declared illegal, stating that the kits must have separate shirts and shorts. FIFA then imposed fines on Cameroon and deducted six points from their qualifying campaign. Puma argued that a two-piece kit is not stated as a requirement in the FIFA laws of the game. Puma, however, lost the case in court, and Cameroon were forced to wear two-piece kits, but FIFA subsequently restored the six qualifying points to Cameroon.

Kit suppliers

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Kit supplier Period Notes
France Le Coq Sportif 1982–1987
Germany Adidas 1988–1993
United Kingdom Mitre 1993–1995
Italy Lotto 1995–1996
Germany Adidas 1996–1997
Germany Puma 1998–2018
France Le Coq Sportif 2019–2022
Thailand One All Sports 2022–2024
Germany Adidas 2025–present

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Cameroon national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

[edit]
9 January Friendly Zambia  1–1  Cameroon Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
17:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium
15 January 2023 AFCON GS Cameroon  1–1  Guinea Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
17:00 Magri 51' Report Bayo 10' Stadium: Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Attendance: 11,271
Referee: Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
19 January 2023 AFCON Senegal  3–1  Cameroon Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
 Report
Stadium: Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Attendance: 19,176
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
23 January 2023 AFCON Gambia  2–3  Cameroon Bouaké, Ivory Coast
17:00
Report
Stadium: Stade de la Paix
Attendance: 24,172
Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
27 January 2023 AFCON R16 Nigeria  2–0  Cameroon Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 Report Stadium: Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium
Attendance: 22,085[22]
Referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco)
8 June 2026 World Cup qualification Cameroon  4–1  Cape Verde Yaoundé, Cameroon
17:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification Angola  1–1  Cameroon Luanda, Angola
20:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Estádio 11 de Novembro
Referee: Mohamed Adel Elsaid (Egypt)
7 September 2024 (2024-09-07) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cameroon  1–0  Namibia Garoua, Cameroon
17:00 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Roumdé Adjia Stadium
Referee: Boubou Traoré (Mali)
10 September 2024 (2024-09-10) 2025 AFCON qualifier Zimbabwe  0–0  Cameroon Kampala, Uganda
19:00 UTC+3 Report Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Referee: Mahmoud El Banna (Egypt)
11 October 2024 (2024-10-11) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cameroon  4–1  Kenya Douala, Cameroon
--:-- 
Report
Stadium: Japoma Stadium
Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal)
14 October 2024 (2024-10-14) 2025 AFCON qualifier Kenya  0–1  Cameroon Kampala, Uganda
16:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Mandela National Stadium
Referee: Louis Houngnandande (Benin)
13 November 2024 (2024-11-13) 2025 AFCON qualifier Namibia  0–0  Cameroon Johannesburg, South Africa
14:00 Report Stadium: Orlando Stadium
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cameroon  2–1  Zimbabwe Yaoundé, Cameroon
14:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)

2025

[edit]
17 March 2026 World Cup qualification Eswatini  v  Cameroon Eswatini
March 2026 World Cup qualification Cameroon  v  Libya Cameroon
1 September 2026 World Cup qualification Cameroon  v  Eswatini Cameroon
8 September 2026 World Cup qualification Cape Verde  v  Cameroon Cape Verde
6 October 2026 World Cup qualification Mauritius  v  Cameroon Mauritius
13 October 2026 World Cup qualification Cameroon  v  Angola Cameroon

Coaching staff

[edit]
Position Name
Head coach Belgium Marc Brys
Assistant coaches Democratic Republic of the Congo Joachim Mununga
Cameroon Martin Ndtoungou Mpile
Cameroon David Pagou
Goalkeeping coach Cameroon Idriss Carlos Kameni
Video analyst Greece Giannis Xilouris
Fitness coach France Christophe Manouvrier
Doctor Cameroon Dr. Fotso Gwabap Patrick Joel
Physiotherapist Cameroon Daniel Che Awah
Physiotherapist Cameroon Elias Kaleguem Fomekong
General Coordinator of National teams Cameroon Benoit Christian Angbwa
Assistant coordinator 1 Cameroon Serge Reinold Pensy
Assistant coordinator 2 Cameroon Sarah Ntui
Team manager Cameroon Nicolas Alnoudji
Team Media officer Cameroon Elie Thierry Ndoh
Liaison officer Cameroon Arnold Ebolo Abada
Technical director Cameroon Engelbert Janvier Mbarga Ondoa

Coaching history

[edit]

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following players have been selected for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Namibia and Zimbabwe, on 13 and 19 November 2024.[23]

Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against Zimbabwe.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK André Onana (1996-04-02) 2 April 1996 (age 28) 46 0 England Manchester United
1GK Simon Omossola (1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Democratic Republic of the Congo Saint-Éloi Lupopo
1GK Simon Ngapandouetnbu (2003-04-12) 12 April 2003 (age 21) 0 0 France Nîmes
2DF Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (1990-11-23) 23 November 1990 (age 34) 60 5 China Beijing Guoan
2DF Collins Fai (1992-08-13) 13 August 1992 (age 32) 56 0 Serbia Radnički Niš
2DF Nouhou Tolo (1997-06-23) 23 June 1997 (age 27) 38 1 United States Seattle Sounders
2DF Jean-Charles Castelletto (1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 29) 31 2 France Nantes
2DF Christopher Wooh (2001-09-18) 18 September 2001 (age 23) 20 2 France Rennes
2DF Darlin Yongwa (2000-09-21) 21 September 2000 (age 24) 9 1 France Lorient
2DF Jackson Tchatchoua (2001-09-14) 14 September 2001 (age 23) 8 0 Italy Hellas Verona
2DF Flavien Enzo Boyomo (2001-10-07) 7 October 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Spain Albacete
2DF Guy Kilama (1999-05-30) 30 May 1999 (age 25) 3 0 Turkey Hatayspor
3MF André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (1995-11-16) 16 November 1995 (age 29) 60 5 Italy Napoli
3MF Martin Hongla (1998-03-16) 16 March 1998 (age 26) 30 1 Spain Granada
3MF Yvan Neyou (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 27) 11 0 Spain Leganés
3MF Arthur Avom Ebong (2004-12-15) 15 December 2004 (age 19) 0 0 France Lorient
3MF Wilitty Younoussa (2001-09-09) 9 September 2001 (age 23) 0 0 France Rodez
4FW Vincent Aboubakar (captain) (1992-01-22) 22 January 1992 (age 32) 108 42 Turkey Hatayspor
4FW Moumi Ngamaleu (1994-07-09) 9 July 1994 (age 30) 58 4 Russia Dynamo Moscow
4FW Christian Bassogog (1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 29) 51 8 Turkey MKE Ankaragücü
4FW Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (1995-02-13) 13 February 1995 (age 29) 13 2 Saudi Arabia Damac
4FW Frank Magri (1999-09-04) 4 September 1999 (age 25) 12 2 France Toulouse
4FW Patrick Soko (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Spain Huesca
4FW Boris Enow (2000-03-03) 3 March 2000 (age 24) 1 1 United States D.C. United

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months and are still available for selection.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Fabrice Ondoa (1995-12-24) 24 December 1995 (age 28) 52 0 France Nîmes 2023 AFCON
GK Devis Epassy (1993-02-02) 2 February 1993 (age 31) 9 0 Iran Persepolis 2023 AFCON
DF James Ndjeungoue (2003-04-04) 4 April 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Slovakia Žilina v.  Kenya, 14 October 2024
DF Harold Moukoudi (1997-11-27) 27 November 1997 (age 27) 18 0 Greece AEK Athens v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Yann Aurel Bisseck (2000-11-29) 29 November 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Italy Inter Milan v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 PRE
DF Yvan Dibango (2002-03-10) 10 March 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Ukraine Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Malcom Bokele (2000-02-12) 12 February 2000 (age 24) 2 0 France Bordeaux v.  Angola, 11 June 2024
DF James Eto'o (2000-11-19) 19 November 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Bulgaria Botev Plovdiv v.  Cape Verde, 3 June 2024 PRE
DF Oumar Gonzalez (1998-02-25) 25 February 1998 (age 26) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Raed 2023 AFCON
DF Junior Tchamadeu (2003-12-22) 22 December 2003 (age 20) 4 0 England Stoke City 2023 AFCON
DF Enzo Tchato (2002-11-23) 23 November 2002 (age 22) 4 0 France Montpellier 2023 AFCON
DF Nicolas Nkoulou (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 34) 83 2 Turkey Gaziantep 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Olivier Mbaizo (1997-08-15) 15 August 1997 (age 27) 14 0 United States Philadelphia Union 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Franck Atsama (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Cameroon Bamboutos 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Leon Bell Bell (1996-09-06) 6 September 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Germany FC Magdeburg 2023 AFCON PRE
DF Aboubakar Nagida (2005-06-28) 28 June 2005 (age 19) 0 0 France Rennes 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Carlos Baleba (2004-01-03) 3 January 2004 (age 20) 5 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion v.  Namibia, 13 November 2024 PRE
MF Pierre Kunde (1995-07-26) 26 July 1995 (age 29) 43 1 Greece Atromitos v.  Kenya, 14 October 2024
MF Martin Ndzie (2003-01-16) 16 January 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Israel Ashdod v.  Kenya, 14 October 2024
MF Olivier Ntcham (1996-02-09) 9 February 1996 (age 28) 16 1 Turkey Samsunspor v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 INJ
MF Nicky Beloko (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Switzerland Luzern v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 PRE
MF Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe (2000-11-21) 21 November 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 PRE
MF Nchindo John Bosco (2002-02-26) 26 February 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Cameroon YOSA v.  Angola, 11 June 2024
MF Raoul Danzabe (2004-07-18) 18 July 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Qatar Qatar SC v.  Cape Verde, 3 June 2024 PRE
MF Adrien Tameze (1994-02-04) 4 February 1994 (age 30) 0 0 Italy Torino v.  Cape Verde, 3 June 2024 DEC
MF Olivier Kemen (1996-07-20) 20 July 1996 (age 28) 8 1 Turkey Kayserispor 2023 AFCON
MF Benjamin Elliott (2002-11-05) 5 November 2002 (age 22) 4 0 England Reading 2023 AFCON
MF Wilfried Nathan Douala (2006-05-15) 15 May 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Cameroon Victoria United 2023 AFCON
MF Samuel Gouet (1997-12-14) 14 December 1997 (age 26) 25 0 Belgium Mechelen 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Gaël Ondoua (1995-11-04) 4 November 1995 (age 29) 8 0 Germany Hannover 96 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Jerome Ngom Mbekeli (1998-09-30) 30 September 1998 (age 26) 6 0 Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Patient Wassou Gouegoue (2004-01-01) 1 January 2004 (age 20) 3 0 Cameroon Coton Sport 2023 AFCON PRE
MF Jean Eric Moursou (2004-12-31) 31 December 2004 (age 19) 0 0 Cameroon Coton Sport 2023 AFCON PRE
MF François Mughe (2004-06-16) 16 June 2004 (age 20) 0 0 France Dunkerque 2023 AFCON DEC
FW Bryan Mbeumo (1999-08-07) 7 August 1999 (age 25) 20 5 England Brentford v.  Namibia, 13 November 2024 PRE
FW Didier Lamkel Zé (1996-09-17) 17 September 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Turkey Hatayspor v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 PRE
FW Danny Namaso (2000-08-28) 28 August 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Portugal Porto v.  Kenya, 10 October 2024 PRE
FW Jules Armand Kooh (1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Cameroon Astres v.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2024
FW Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (1989-03-23) 23 March 1989 (age 35) 73 20 United States New York Red Bulls v.  Angola, 11 June 2024
FW Faris Moumbagna (2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 (age 24) 8 0 France Marseille v.  Angola, 11 June 2024
FW Clinton N'Jie (1993-08-15) 15 August 1993 (age 31) 44 10 Turkey Sivasspor 2023 AFCON
FW Léonel Ateba (1999-02-06) 6 February 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Algeria USM Alger 2023 AFCON
FW Stéphane Bahoken (1992-05-28) 28 May 1992 (age 32) 22 4 Turkey Kasımpaşa 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Léandre Tawamba (1989-12-20) 20 December 1989 (age 34) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Okhdood 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Emmanuel Dikongue (1995-01-03) 3 January 1995 (age 29) 4 0 Cameroon Canon Yaoundé 2023 AFCON PRE
FW Warren Fozing (2001-04-04) 4 April 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Cameroon AS Fortuna 2023 AFCON PRE

INJ = Withdrew from the squad due to injury
SUS = Serving suspension
PRE = Preliminary squad / standby
RET = Retired from international football
WD = Withdrew from the squad

Records

[edit]
As of 10 September 2024[24]
Players in bold are still active with Cameroon.

Most appearances

[edit]
Rigobert Song is Cameroon's most capped player with 137 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Rigobert Song 137 5 1993–2010
2 Samuel Eto'o 118 56 1997–2014
Geremi Njitap 118 13 1996–2010
4 Vincent Aboubakar 106 41 2010–present
5 Emmanuel Kundé 102 17 1979–1992
6 Nicolas Nkoulou 83 2 2008–present
7 Jacques Songo'o 80 0 1983–2002
8 Roger Milla 77 43 1973–1994
9 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 73 20 2010–present
Carlos Kameni 73 0 2001–2019
François Omam-Biyik 73 26 1985–1998

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Samuel Eto'o is Cameroon's top goalscorer with 56 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Samuel Eto'o (list) 56 118 0.47 1997–2014
2 Roger Milla 43 77 0.56 1973–1994
3 Vincent Aboubakar 41 106 0.39 2010–present
4 Patrick M'Boma 33 55 0.6 1995–2004
5 François Omam-Biyik 26 73 0.36 1985–1998
6 Alphonse Tchami 21 57 0.37 1988–1998
7 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 20 73 0.27 2010–present
8 Pierre Webó 19 59 0.32 2003–2014
9 Emmanuel Kundé 17 102 0.17 1979–1992
10 André Kana-Biyik 15 59 0.25 1985–1994

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Cameroon at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 4
West Germany 1974 3 1 0 2 1 3
Argentina 1978 2 0 1 1 2 4
Spain 1982 First group stage 17th 3 0 3 0 1 1 Squad 8 5 1 2 16 5
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 5
Italy 1990 Quarter-finals 7th 5 3 0 2 7 9 Squad 8 6 1 1 12 6
United States 1994 Group stage 22nd 3 0 1 2 3 11 Squad 8 5 2 1 14 4
France 1998 25th 3 0 2 1 2 5 Squad 6 4 2 0 10 4
South Korea Japan 2002 20th 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 10 8 1 1 20 4
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 10 6 3 1 18 10
South Africa 2010 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 2 5 Squad 12 9 2 1 23 4
Brazil 2014 32nd 3 0 0 3 1 9 Squad 8 5 2 1 12 4
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 8 2 5 1 10 9
Qatar 2022 Group stage 19th 3 1 1 1 4 4 Squad 8 6 0 2 14 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 2 2 0 9 3
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Quarter-finals 8/15 26 5 8 13 22 47 — 97 58 23 16 162 73

FIFA Confederations Cup

[edit]
FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad
France 2003 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 3 1 Squad
Germany 2005 Did not qualify
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad
Total Runners-up 3/10 11 4 2 5 7 11 —

Africa Cup of Nations

[edit]
Main article: Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record Africa Cup of Nations qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France Part of  France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965 Did not enter Did not enter
Ethiopia 1968 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 4 7
Sudan 1970 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 7 5 4 3 1 0 7 6
Cameroon 1972 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 5 Qualified as hosts
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 3
Ethiopia 1976 2 1 0 1 3 4
Ghana 1978 2 1 0 1 2 4
Nigeria 1980 2 1 0 1 3 3
Libya 1982 Group stage 5th 3 0 3 0 1 1 4 2 1 1 12 5
Ivory Coast 1984 Champions 1st 5 3 1 1 9 3 4 2 0 2 9 5
Egypt 1986 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 8 5 Qualified as defending champions
Morocco 1988 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 4 1 4 2 0 2 8 5
Algeria 1990 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 3 Qualified as defending champions
Senegal 1992 Fourth place 4th 5 2 2 1 4 3 6 3 3 0 5 1
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 6 3 3 0 7 0
South Africa 1996 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 5 7 6 3 1 2 7 7
Burkina Faso 1998 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 1 1 5 4 6 2 4 0 8 3
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Champions 1st 6 3 2 1 11 5 Qualified as defending champions
Mali 2002 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 9 0 Qualified as defending champions
Tunisia 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 7 6 Qualified as defending champions
Egypt 2006 5th 4 3 1 0 8 2 10 6 3 1 13 4
Ghana 2008 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 14 8 6 5 0 1 13 4
Angola 2010 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 6 8 10 9 2 2 24 4
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Did not qualify 6 3 2 1 12 5
South Africa 2013 4 2 0 2 3 4
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 2 3 6 4 2 0 9 1
Gabon 2017 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 7 3 6 4 2 0 7 2
Egypt 2019 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 4 3 6 3 2 1 6 3
Cameroon 2021 Third place 3rd 7 4 3 0 14 7 6 3 2 1 8 4
Ivory Coast 2023 Round of 16 14th 4 1 1 2 5 8 4 2 1 1 6 3
Morocco 2025 Qualified 6 4 2 0 8 2
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 TBD TBD
Total 5 Titles 21/34 95 46 31 18 142 90 116 66 30 22 178 87
*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

African Nations Championship

[edit]
African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 4
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Ivory Coast 2009 Did not qualify
Sudan 2011 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 5 0
South Africa 2014 Did not qualify
Rwanda 2016 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 4
Morocco 2018 Group stage 12th 3 0 1 2 1 3
Cameroon 2020 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 4 8
Algeria 2022 Group stage 8th 2 1 0 1 1 3
Kenya 2024 To be determined
Total Fourth place 4/9 17 7 5 5 14 15

Summer Olympics

[edit]
Olympic Games record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1900
to
Italy 1960		 Did not enter
Japan 1964
to
West Germany 1972		 Did not qualify
Canada 1976 Did not enter
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984 Round 1 11th 3 1 0 2 3 5
South Korea 1988 Did not qualify
1992–present See Cameroon national under-23 football team
Total Round 1 1/19 3 1 0 2 3 5
Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.

African Games

[edit]
See also: Cameroon national under-23 football team
African Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Algeria 1978|th 3 0 2 1 2 3
Kenya 1987 4th 5 2 2 1 11 8
Total 2/4 0 0 0 0 0 0

Honours

[edit]

Major competitions

[edit]

Worldwide

Intercontinental

Continental

Regional

[edit]
  • UDEAC Cup
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (4): 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (1): 1990
    • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Third place (1): 1985
  • CEMAC Cup
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (3): 2003, 2005, 2008
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (2): 2006, 2010
    • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Third place (1): 2014
  • Central African Games
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal (2): 1976, 1987

Friendly

[edit]

Summary

[edit]
Senior Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 1 0 1
CAF African Cup of Nations 5 2 2 9
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 1 0 0 1
Total 6 3 2 11

See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Most of the national sporting teams in Cameroon go by this name, including the Cameroon national rugby league team.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "9 Samuel ETOO". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  4. ^ Campton, Nick (5 September 2022). "The last hunt of Carol Manga, rugby league's indomitable lion of Cameroon". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Cameroon In 1990, Ghana In 2010…Morocco Make It Fourth Time Lucky For Africa At W/Cup". Channels Tv.
  6. ^ a b Mothoagae, Keba (3 December 2022). "2022 World Cup: Brazil's Incredible Record Against African Teams Broken By Cameroon". Sports Brief. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  7. ^ Mbale, Philemon (3 December 2022). "Qatar 2022 - Cameroon : First African team to beat Brazil in WC history". Sports News Africa. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Top Cards – France 1998". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  9. ^ "FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003". FIFA.com. 18 June 2003. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  10. ^ Radnedge, Keir (27 June 2003). "Foé dies in Confederations Cup game". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  11. ^ BBC Sport (26 June 2003). "Cameroon star Foe dies". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  12. ^ Molinaro, John F. (21 May 2009). "Requiem for a midfielder: Remembering Marc-Vivien Foe". CBC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  13. ^ AP (1 July 2003). "Henry bags Cup for France". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Indomitable Lions roar through to record sixth finals". ESPN. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  15. ^ "Africa Cup of Nations 2017: Cameroon 2-1 Egypt". BBC Sport. 5 February 2017. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  16. ^ "Afcon 2017: Cameroon's Aboubakar wins final with late goal against Egypt". The Guardian. 5 February 2017. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Toko Ekambi scores sensational winner to send Cameroon to World Cup". espn.com. Reuters. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  18. ^ Azzoni, Tales (2 December 2022). "Brazil tops Group G despite dramatic loss to Cameroon". The Score. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  19. ^ Shpigel, Ben (2 December 2022). "A chaotic end to the group stage sends Brazil and Switzerland to the knockout round". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  20. ^ "PUMA Newsroom". PUMA SE. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Fifa bans Cameroon shirts". BBC Sport. 9 March 2002. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  22. ^ "Nigeria vs Cameroon match Report". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Cameroun : la liste de Marc Brys avec 2 nouveaux, sans Toko-Ekambi…". afrik-foot.com (in French). 10 November 2024.
  24. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Cameroon – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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