* Mozambique are 3rd in Group F with 3 points while Cameroon are 2nd with four — sharing with group leaders Côte d’Ivoire
* The defending champions are meeting bottom of the table Gabon without a point after losing to both Cameroon and Mozambique
* South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe were in one Group B along with North Africans Egypt while Comoros and Zambia were in Group A with hosts Morocco and Mali
By Duncan Mlanjira
Mozambique, who are playing their final Group F encounter against Cameroon today from 21h00 to join fellow Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) nation, South Africa, into the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025.
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Mozambique are 3rd with 3 points while Cameroon are 2nd with 4 points — sharing with group leaders and defending champions, Côte d’Ivoire, who are meeting bottom of the table Gabon without a point after losing to both Cameroon and Mozambique.
The other COSAFA representatives Zambia, Angola, Comoros, Zimbabwe and Botswana have exited at group stages. Zambia were in Group A alongside Comoros and both only managed two draws — one against each other in the opening match.
Morocco lead the group, Mali second, Comoros third and Zambia lie at the bottom of the table while South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe were all in Group B along with Egypt.
South Africa won two matches both against their fellow COSAFA nations while losing to the North Africans through a penalty scored by Mohammed Sallah. The Pharaohs then drew with Angola to take the top spot as Bafana Bafana ended 2nd, Angola 3rd and Zimbabwe at the bottom.
CAFonline reports that the Grand Stade d’Agadir tonight will be the canvas on which a beautiful story in which the Indomitable Lions will be seeking to roar against history-frenzied Mambas. Cameroon seek to remain unbeaten and send a statement, while Mozambique have an eye on adding another page of history into their already storied AfCON campaign.
From 16 previous attempts, the Mambas won their first ever AfCON match when they beat Gabon 3-2 at the same venue on Sunday, and will make it two in a row if they manage to get over Cameroon.
They have also made more history by qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time ever, and will get into this duel with beaming confidence.
Mambas coach Chiquinho Conde has stated that his team will go all gloves off against the Indomitable Lions, as victory will see them finish second in the group: “We are still trying to find the balance between the emotion we have and the preparation for the game because we waited for 16 games to win one match.
Chiquinho Conde, Mozambique head coach
“We are all still happy, congratulating each other and enjoying the moment. I am happy but as a coach, we need to stop a little bit of the celebrations and think about this game.
We will find the best strategy to beat Cameroon which is a really good team from what we have seen. I have an idea of how we can play and compete to win,” the coach is quouted as saying by CAFonline
His defender, Reinildo Mandava, said: “We will play against a tough team but we believe in our work and we believe in what we can achieve. We know it is not an easy game and to win, we need to work for every minute of the game.
The spirit now with the players after our first win is high and we want to use that as motivation for this game.”
Defender, Reinildo Mandava
While encouraged by the team’s attacking improvement against Gabon, coach Chiquinho Conde will be keen to tighten his defensive line after conceding three goals in two matches, especially against a potent Cameroonian frontline.
Cameroon, meanwhile, also arrive in confident mood. Under David Pagou, the youthful Indomitable Lions have steadily grown into the tournament, producing one of their most assured displays in a 1–1 draw against defending champions Côte d’Ivoire in Marrakesh.
Having entered the competition under pressure, Pagou’s young squad, many of whom are experiencing Africa’s biggest football stage for the first time, have responded with maturity and resilience.
Victory over Gabon, followed by a disciplined performance against the holders, has strengthened belief within the camp and reinforced their credentials as genuine title contenders.
A win against a spirited and well-organised Mozambique side would further elevate Cameroon’s confidence. Crucially, three points could also see the Indomitable Lions finish top of Group F, should Côte d’Ivoire fail to secure maximum points against already eliminated Gabon.
With qualification assured but pride, momentum, and positioning still on the line, this Agadir showdown promises to be a fitting finale to Group F, a contest defined not by survival, but by ambition.
This will be the first meeting between the sides at the AfCON finals and the 9th overall encounter between the two nations in which Cameroon have dominated the fixture historically, winning seven of the previous eight matches, with Mozambique recording a single victory.—Reporting by CAFonline, edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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