ABIDJAN - Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Cameroon.
Africa Cup of Nations record:
Previous appearances in finals: (20) 1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017
Drawn in Group C with Gambia, Guinea and Senegal.
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Coach: Rigobert Song
Defender in his playing days at Metz, Salernitana, Liverpool, West Ham United, FC Cologne, Racing Lens and Galatasaray, he converted the winning penalty for Cameroon to win the Cup of Nations over hosts Nigeria in 2000 and captained the team to a back-to-back triumph in 2002. His coaching career began with Cameroon’s Under-23 side and he took over after the last Cup of Nations which Cameroon hosted but where they failed to get to the final. Song, 47, was coach of the Indomitable Lions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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Key player: Andre Onana. Age: 25. Goalkeeper.
Onana refused a call-up to the 2017 Cup of Nations finals as he put his club career at Ajax Amsterdam before national team selection and missed out on winning the trophy. He then had a nine-month ban for drug use in 2021 and one year later walked out on the Indomitable Lions at the World Cup in Qatar after an argument with coach Song. But he has been back in action for Cameroon over the last six months and has a chance to make a major impact after damaging his reputation with some recent dreadful mistakes at Manchester United.
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FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 46
How they qualified: Top team in Group C ahead of Namibia and Burundi.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Olympique de Marseille), Andre Onana (Manchester United), Fabrice Ondoa (Nimes)
Defenders: Malcom Bokele (Girondins Bordeaux), Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Oumar Gonzalez (Al Raed), Harold Moukoudi (AEK Athens), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City), Enzo Tchato (Montpellier), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennais), Darling Yongwa (Lorient)
Midfielders: Wilfried Nathan Doualla (Victoria United), Ben Elliott (Reading), Olivier Kemen (Kayserispor), Yvan Neyou (Leganes), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow), Olivier Ntcham (Samsunspor), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)
Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas), Leonel Ateba (Dynamo Douala), Frank Magri (Toulouse), Faris Pemi Moumbagna (Bodo/Glimt), Clinton Njie (Sivasspor), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Damac), Karl Toko Ekambi (Abha Club) REUTERS
