The Cameroon national football team (French: équipe du Cameroun de football), often known as the Indomitable Lions[a], is the national football team of Cameroon. The Fédération Cameroune de Football, a member of FIFA and its African confederation CAF, is in charge.
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The squad qualified for the FIFA World Cup eight times, more than any other African country, including four consecutive occasions between 1990 and 2002. However, the squad has only once advanced past the group stage. They became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990, losing to England in extra time. They have also won the Africa Cup of Nations five times.
Early years 1956-200
Cameroon’s debut match was against Belgian Congo in 1956, which it lost 3-2. They qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 1970, but were eliminated in the first round. In the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations, the Indomitable Lions finished third after being knocked out by their neighbors and future champions Congo. They would not be able to compete for another ten years.
Cameroon made its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1982. With the rise from 16 to 24, Cameroon and Algeria qualified to represent Africa at the tournament in Spain. Cameroon was placed in Group 1 alongside Italy, Poland, and Peru. Cameroon drew 0-0 with Peru in their opening game. They then held Poland scoreless before a 1-1 tie with eventual champions Italy. Despite being unbeaten, they were unable to advance to the second round because they scored fewer goals than Italy.
Cameroon qualified for the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, which was contested in Ivory Coast, two years later. They finished second in their first-round group before defeating Algeria in the semi-finals on penalties. Cameroon defeated Nigeria 3-1 in the final, with goals from René N’Djeya, Théophile Abega, and Ernest Ebongué, to become Africa’s first champions.
Cameroon qualified for the 1990 World Cup by defeating Nigeria in the last round playoff and overcoming Tunisia in the first round playoff. Cameroon was placed in Group B with Argentina, Romania, and the Soviet Union for the final event. Cameroon defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the first game, thanks to François Omam-Biyik’s goal. Cameroon went on to defeat Romania 2-1 before falling to the Soviet Union 0-4, becoming the first team to top a World Cup Finals group with a negative goal difference. Cameroon defeated Colombia 2-1 in the second round, with 38-year-old Roger Milla scoring two goals in extra time.
Cameroon met England in the quarter-finals. England’s David Platt scored after 25 minutes, although Cameroon rallied back with a 61st-minute penalty from Emmanuel Kundé and grabbed the lead with Eugène Ekéké on 65 minutes. England, on the other hand, equalized in the 83rd minute with a penalty from Gary Lineker, and Lineker scored again in the 105th minute to make the final score 3-2 for England. Valeri Nepomniachi, a former player and Russian manager, coached the team.
The number of African teams qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in the United States was increased from two to three. Cameroon, Nigeria, and Morocco all qualified. Cameroon was selected in Group B with Sweden, Brazil, and Russia for the final competition. Cameroon were eliminated after losing to Brazil and drawing 2-2 with Sweden. In their final game against Russia, Roger Milla, then 42, became the oldest player to play and score in a World Cup finals match. Henri Michel, a Frenchman, coached the team.
Cameroon was one of five African countries represented at the 1998 World Cup in France, which saw the increase from 24 to 32 teams. Cameroon was placed in Group B alongside Italy, Chile, and Austria. Cameroon finished bottom of the group after drawing with Chile and Austria (after led 1-0 against them until the 90th minute), and losing 3-0 to Italy. Cameroon had three players sent off throughout the tournament, the most of any team. They also had the greatest card count per game of any club, with an average of four bookings each game.
During this tournament, a certain Samuel Eto’o was also introduced to Cameroonians. Along with Michael Owen of England, he was the tournament’s youngest player. Claude Le Roy, a Frenchman, coached the team.
2000-present
Cameroon qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan, finishing first in their group with Angola, Zambia, and Togo. Cameroon was placed in Group E with Germany, the Republic of Ireland, and Saudi Arabia. Cameroon began by drawing 1-1 with Ireland after losing the lead, and then defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0. Cameroon were defeated 2-0 by Germany in their previous game and were eliminated by the Irish, who had not lost a game.
Cameroon began the 2002 African Cup of Nations campaign with a 1-0 victory over Democratic Republic of the Congo. That was followed by another 1-0 victory against Ivory Coast and a 3-0 victory over Togo. As a result of these results, Cameroon advanced from the group stage to the quarter-finals. Cameroon faced Egypt in the knockout stage and won 1-0 thanks to a goal by M’Boma in the 62nd minute. Cameroon defeated Mali in the semi-finals, winning 3-0 to advance to the final.
Cameroon won its fourth African Cup of Nations (repeating as champions) on 13 February 2002, defeating Senegal 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw to qualify for the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.
Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed in the 72nd minute of Cameroon’s semi-final against Colombia in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup; he was pronounced dead several hours later. Cameroon wore shirts embroidered with Foé’s name, birth and death dates, in the final against France.
Cameroon was drawn in Group 3 of the 2006 World Cup qualifying round, alongside the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Benin. Cameroon dominated the group until Pierre Womé failed to convert a late penalty in the last game. Cameroon drew 1-1 with Egypt on October 8, 2005, while eventual World Cup debutants Ivory Coast defeated Sudan 3-1, preventing Cameroon from traveling to Germany.
Cameroon competed in World Cup qualification alongside Gabon, Togo, and Morocco in 2010. Cameroon’s coach, Otto Pfister, resigned after a difficult start to the season with a defeat to Togo. Following a draw with Morocco, Frenchman Paul Le Guen was named as the new coach. Cameroon’s spirits rose following Le Guen’s appointment, as they won against Gabon in Libreville, followed by a win against the Panthers four days later in Yaoundé.
One month later, they trounced Togo by three goals in Yaoundé. Cameroon defeated Morocco’s Atlas Lions 2-0 in their final match of the season on November 14, 2009. Gabon was also beaten 1-0 in Lomé by Togo. Cameroon qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa as a result of both results.
The Indomitable Lions were the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the 2010 World Cup, losing 1-2 to Denmark in their second group match, following a 0-1 defeat to Japan.
Cameroon began the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations play with a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso, then won 2-1 against Guinea-Bissau and drew 0-0 with hosts Gabon. Cameroon advanced from the group stage to the quarter-finals, where they faced Senegal in a tight encounter that Cameroon won 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the game finished goalless in extra time. Cameroon defeated Ghana 2-0 in the semi-finals to get to the final.
Cameroon won the African Cup of Nations for the fifth time on 5 February 2017, defeating seven-time winners Egypt 2-1 in the final,[8] thanks to Vincent Aboubakar’s late goal in the 89th minute. [9] Cameroon qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia as winners, but were eliminated in the group round.
Cameroon qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar five years later after overcoming Algeria on away goals with a last-minute victory.
