Winners of two of the aftermost three editions, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon will renew a 55-year Africa Cup of Nations animosity back they accommodated in their additional Accumulation F accoutrement on 28 December at the Grand Stade d’Agadir in Agadir. Kick-off is at 21h00 bounded time (20h00 GMT).
At the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire accept met eight times previously, with Cameroon acceptable bristles matches. Two of the actual three encounters concluded akin afore Côte d’Ivoire prevailed on penalties.
Côte d’Ivoire won their best contempo AFCON affair in 2015, claiming a 1-0 group-stage achievement in their final accumulation match, with Max Gradel scoring the absolute ambition in the 35th minute to annihilate Cameroon.
Five of their eight AFCON affairs accept taken abode at the accumulation date (1970, 1984, 2000, 2002 and 2015). Cameroon won the aboriginal four of those encounters, with Côte d’Ivoire claiming achievement in the best contempo affair in 2015.
Cameroon defeated Côte d’Ivoire 3-0 and 1-0 appropriately in the accumulation stages on their way to appropriation AFCON titles in 2000 and 2002. In fact, back acceptable three of their bristles AFCON titles (1984, 2000 and 2002), Cameroon recorded group-stage victories over Côte d’Ivoire.
Côte d’Ivoire won their additional AFCON appellation in 2015 afterwards acquisition Cameroon in the accumulation stage. They overcame Cameroon on penalties in the 1992 semi-finals back appropriation their aboriginal AFCON crown.
Across eight AFCON meetings, Côte d’Ivoire accept managed aloof one achievement over Cameroon in accessible play. Their added two wins — in the 1992 semi-finals and the 2006 quarter-finals — came via amends shoot-outs.
Their 2006 quarter-final affray concluded 1-1 afterwards 120 minutes, with Côte d’Ivoire acceptable 12-11 on penalties. Samuel Eto’o was the alone amateur to absence amid the 24 spot-kicks taken.
Current Côte d’Ivoire drillmaster Emerse Faé featured in that 2006 quarter-final, converting the Elephants’ fourth amends in the shoot-out.
Only one of the eight AFCON clashes amid Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire concluded aimless — their 1992 semi-final encounter, which Côte d’Ivoire won on penalties.
The eight antecedent AFCON affairs amid the abandon accept produced a absolute of 15 goals, with Cameroon scoring 11 and Côte d’Ivoire four.
Cameroon accept kept bristles apple-pie bedding in their eight AFCON affairs adjoin Côte d’Ivoire, acceptance alone in three matches: a 3-2 group-stage win in 1970, the 1-1 draw in the 2006 semi-final, and their 1-0 accident in 2015.
On the bristles antecedent occasions (1970, 1984, 2000, 2002 and 2015) back Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon were fatigued in the aforementioned group, alone one of the two progressed. Côte d’Ivoire avant-garde in 1970 and 2015, while Cameroon went through in 1984, 2000 and 2002.
Despite accident their aperture bout 3-2 to Cameroon in 1970, Côte d’Ivoire recovered to defeat Sudan and Ethiopia and progressed as Accumulation A winners advanced of Sudan, eliminating Cameroon at the accumulation stage.
Overall, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon accept met 21 times, with anniversary ancillary acceptable eight matches and bristles catastrophe in a draw.
The teams additionally met during condoning for the 2015 AFCON. Cameroon won 4-1 in Yaoundé, while the acknowledgment accoutrement in Abidjan concluded in a 0-0 draw. Both abandon able for the finals.
Their best contempo affairs came in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying, with anniversary aggregation acceptable at home. Côte d’Ivoire claimed a 2-1 win on 6 September 2021 acknowledgment to a Sébastien Haller brace, with Moumi Ngamaleu scoring for Cameroon.
The acknowledgment bout on 16 November 2021 saw Cameroon win 1-0 at home, Karl Toko Ekambi scoring in the 21st minute. Cameroon would go on to authorize for Qatar 2022 advanced of the Ivoirians.
This will be the ninth AFCON affair amid Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, the collective second-most affairs amid two nations at the finals, alongside Côte d’Ivoire vs Algeria. Alone Côte d’Ivoire’s 10 affairs adjoin Ghana and Egypt rank higher.
Côte d’Ivoire accept absent added AFCON matches alone adjoin Egypt (six) than they accept adjoin Cameroon (five). They accept additionally absent bristles times adjoin Ghana.
Cameroon are adverse a arresting best for the fourth time at AFCON. They absent their antecedent three such encounters: adjoin Egypt in 2008 (4-2 group-stage loss) and 2010 (3-1 quarter-final defeat), and adjoin Senegal (3-1 group-stage loss) at the aftermost edition.
Their alone achievement adjoin a arresting best came in 1988, back they defeated Egypt 1-0 in their aperture match.
They accept advanced met alert with Cameroon entering as arresting champions, in 1986 and 2002, and on both occasions Cameroon won 1-0.
HEAD-TO-HEAD OVERALL Côte d’Ivoire: P21 W8 D5 L8 GF23 GA25 GD-2 Cameroon: P21 W8 D5 L8 GF25 DA23 GD 2
AFCON ONLY Côte d’Ivoire: P8 W1 D2 L5 GF4 GA11 GD-7 Cameroon: P8 W5 D2 L1 GF11 GA4 GD 7
PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1970, Accumulation A – 6 February 1970 Cameroon 3 (Koum 57’, 66’, N’Doga 60’) Côte d’Ivoire 2 (Pkou 25’, 45’)
1984, Accumulation B – 10 March 1984 Côte d’Ivoire 0 Cameroon 2 (Milla 42’, Djonkep 61’)
1986, Semi-finals – 21 March 1986 Cameroon 1 (Milla 46’) Côte d’Ivoire 0
1992, Semi-finals – 23 January 1992 Cameroon 0 Côte d’Ivoire 0 Côte d’Ivoire won 3-1 on penalties
2000, Accumulation A – 28 January 2000 Cameroon 3 (Kalla 29’, Eto’o 45’, M’boma 90’) Côte d’Ivoire 0
2002, Accumulation C – 25 January 2002 Cameroon 1 (M’boma 85’) Côte d’Ivoire 0
2006, Quarter-finals – 4 February 2006 Cameroon 1 (Meyong 95’) Côte d’Ivoire 1 (Koné 92’) Côte d’Ivoire won 12-11 on penalties
2015, Accumulation D – 28 January 2015 Cameroon 0 Côte d’Ivoire 1 (Gradel 35’)
Côte d’Ivoire – Key Statistics
Began with a 1-0 win over Mozambique. Accept won 16 of their 26 aperture matches at AFCON and are best in their aftermost 14 aperture amateur (W9 D5). Won their aperture bold for a fourth finals in a row. Accept not conceded in their aperture bold in their aftermost bristles AFCON appearances (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025). Aftermost won their aboriginal two AFCON matches in 2013, assault Togo 2-1 and Tunisia 3-0. In the aftermost three AFCON tournaments, back acceptable their aperture match, they bootless to win their second: 2019: exhausted South Africa 1-0, absent to Morocco 1-0 2021: exhausted Equatorial Guinea, drew 2-2 with Sierra Leone 2023: exhausted Guinea-Bissau, absent to Nigeria Accept not won their additional accumulation bold in their aftermost bristles tournaments (D3 L2). Aftermost won their additional accumulation bold in 2013. Accept conceded in their additional accumulation bold in anniversary of their aftermost bristles appearances; aftermost kept a apple-pie area in a additional accumulation bold in 2013 (3-0 vs Tunisia). At Egypt 2019, their aftermost AFCON in North Africa, they won their aperture bout but absent their second. At Egypt 2006, they won both aperture games. Accept won their aftermost three AFCON matches, their longest acceptable run back acceptable their aboriginal bristles matches in 2012. Are best in their aftermost four AFCON matches in accessible comedy (D1). Their aftermost three AFCON victories accept all been by a single-goal margin; their aftermost beyond win was 2-0 vs Guinea-Bissau in 2023. Achievement over Mozambique was their 49th AFCON win; a win actuality would accomplish them the fourth nation to ability 50 AFCON wins (after Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana). At 19 years and 40 days, Yann Diomandé became the third amateur beneath 20 to complete bristles dribbles in an AFCON match, afterwards Ilaix Moriba and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku. Diomandé won added duels than any added amateur adjoin Mozambique (9). Amad Diallo denticulate his aboriginal AFCON ambition adjoin Mozambique. Diallo had the best absolute cutting captivation for Côte d’Ivoire adjoin Mozambique (6: three shots, three affairs created). Diallo and Diomandé accordingly completed the best passes in the final third (22). Franck Kessié assisted Diallo’s goal; back his AFCON admission in 2019, Kessié has recorded bristles assists — alone Sadio Mané has added (6). Accept denticulate in their aftermost bristles AFCON matches; aftermost denticulate in six afterwards matches amid the 2019 and 2021 tournaments. Wilfried Zaha recorded seven touches in the action box adjoin Mozambique, added than any added player.
Cameroon – Key Statistics
Began with a 1-0 win over Gabon. Fielded their youngest starting XI in an AFCON bout back 2010, with an boilerplate age of 24 years and 347 days. Their apple-pie area adjoin Gabon was their aboriginal in six AFCON matches, and their aboriginal back the 2021 final adjoin Egypt (0-0, absent on penalties). It was additionally their aboriginal apple-pie area in an AFCON accumulation bout back their final accumulation bold in 2019 (0-0 vs Benin), accepting conceded in six alternating accumulation games. Are best in their aperture bout in their aftermost six AFCON tournaments (W3 D3). Their six-match best run in aperture accessories is their best such streak. Their almanac in additional accumulation amateur reads P21 W12 D7 L2. Accept alone absent their additional accumulation bout twice: in 1990 (1-0) and in 2023 (3-1), both adjoin Senegal. Accept won their additional accumulation bout 12 times, including a 5-1 achievement over Zambia in 2008 — their better second-match win. Their highest-scoring additional accumulation bout was a 5-3 win over Zimbabwe in 2004, with Patrick M’boma scoring a hat-trick. Were best in 12 alternating additional accumulation matches afore accident to Senegal in 2023 (W9 D3). Accept fatigued 0-0 alert in additional accumulation games, both adjoin Ghana (1982 and 2019). Drew their additional accumulation bout in 1988 adjoin Nigeria, the aftermost time Morocco hosted AFCON. Accept amorphous AFCON with alternating wins bristles times (1970, 1972, 2002, 2006 and 2021). Accept never absent their additional accumulation bout afterwards acceptable their aperture game. Accept bootless to win their additional accumulation bout bristles times afterwards acceptable their opener, all catastrophe in draws. In 21 additional accumulation matches, they accept bootless to account alone three times. Achievement would accelerate Cameroon through to the knockout stages for the 17th time and for a fifth afterwards tournament. Completed alone 172 passes in the action bisected adjoin Gabon, compared to Gabon’s 228. Darlin Yongwa contested 22 duels adjoin Gabon, the best in the match. Samuel Kotto fabricated 11 clearances, the best by a Cameroonian amateur in the match. Bryan Mbeumo created six chances, including the abetment for the acceptable goal. Back 2012, Mbeumo is alone the third Cameroonian to actualize six or added affairs in an AFCON match, alongside Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (2023) and Benjamin Moukandjo (2017). Mbeumo attempted six dribbles adjoin Gabon, commutual two. Goalscorer Karl Etta Eyong netted his aboriginal ambition for Cameroon in his fourth appearance. Eyong is the youngest Cameroonian to account at AFCON back Christian Bassogog in the 2017 semi-finals.