BLOW BY BLOW | Cameroon edge past Bafana in Afcon last 16

FULL TIME - BAFANA BAFANA 1 CAMEROON 2

In the end, Cameroon looked the more experienced combination.

Probably Bafana Bafana’s best 90 minutes of the tournament, but overall they again could not quite get the penetration and control they needed on a consistent basis.

A team that went to Morocco with such high hopes after 2024’s bronze medal in Ivory Coast and with new talent added bow out in the last 16 and have to figure out why.

There will be many post-mortems.

Perhaps, Broos sometimes seemed in two minds between young talent and his tried and tested. He went more with youth in this game. It only worked so far. Ultimately, it’s a tough competition and Bafana just not good enough. They just never clicked.

They have to come home, take stock and figure out why so they have a good display at the 2026 World Cup in June and July in Mexico, Canada and the US.

90+6min - final whistle - That’s IT!!! Bafana Bafana are on the plane home. A last 16 exit. Brave, but lots to dissect on what went wrong.

Cameroon win 2-1!!

90+6min - Mbule corner cleared.

90+5min - Substitute Sipho Mbule’s delivery cleared as far as a throw-in on the left.

90+4min - This really is it now. Bafana possession, attacking, they win a free-kick about 36m out in the middle!!

90+2min - Ngezana hops off cramping.

90min - Just five minutes added!!

88min - GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! GOOOAAALLLLL!!! GOOOOAAALLLLL!!!

Bafana Bafana 1 Cameroon 2

Ball drilled into the box from the left by Modiba, Evidence Makgopa finishes from close range!!!

Surely it is too late. But perhaps, just perhaps there is a comeback on here with just added time left!!

82min - Half-chances at both ends - Kofane’s better for Cameroon. Hope slipping away for Bafana.

76min - Modiba ball across the face just missed by Makgopa.

70min - On the break (of course - that;s been the game from Camneroon!) from the cleared resultant corner, great save with his trailing foot from Williams to deny Arthur Avom.

69min - Mokoena standing over a free-kick for what seems ages as ref organises the wall. Mokoena’s free-kick is excellent - great save from Epassy.

65min - Modiba booked.

63min - Aubrey Modiba on for Kapini and Evidence Makgopa on for Appollis.

62min - Mokoena cross (via an arm by Foster, so VAR would have overruled anyway) falls to Kapini to force point-blank save. Still, promising again from SA. They need promise right now.

58min - It’s not impossible. There have been some big comebacks in this Afcon already. Who knows?

Some attacking impetus from Bafana again. They need more.

53min - Wow. Cameroon’s experience has really shown here. Bafana came out swinging and had some early dominance. The Lions know how to strike and make things count when they have a chance. They really, really do and have shown that and then some!

This game is not over. This is a big, big ask for Bafana to come back from here, though, surely?

47min - GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

Bafana 0 Cameroon 2

The resultant corner is cleared but the Lions win the ball back and immediately back on attack again as Nagida crosses and Christian Kofane has a free header past Williams.

46min - Mahamadou Nagida through on the left and Mbokazi’s desperate lunge in front of the line needed to clear his ball across the face.

46min - The second half is under way.

HALF TIME - BAFANA BAFANA 0 CAMEROON 1

Ah well, Bafana Bafana applied the opening 25min of pressure, could not take their chances and Cameroon were working their way back into the game when they scored the opener.

The West Africans looked the more experienced combination in how they kept calm under the early onslaught, figured out Bafana’s new-look line-up and shape and worked back into the game.

Plenty that was promising for Bafana. Including, finally, a decent opening half - their first three of the tournament were all fairly poor.

But nothing to show from that in terms of goals, and Broos’ team are actually a goal down.

The coach will surely look to Tsehpang Moremi at some stage to bring on as a supersub, but for who?Most players did well. And who else is on this bench that can turn this around for Bafana?

45+3 - That’s the break. Cameroon lead 1-0 at half time in Rabat.

45+1 - Another corner won. Again, nothing from it.

45min - Bafana win a corner from a promising movement. Three minutes added to the 45.

40min - Mokoena shot from outside the area blocked in the box.

36min - A VAR check conforms the goal.

34min - GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!

Bafana 0 Cameroon 1

From that corner, and period of pressure, Foster only half-clears and a shot from the edge of the box is deflected into the path of 2-Junior Tchamadeu free on the left, who slots low past Ronwen Williams.

33min - Ngezana booked as he holds of Nouhou Tolo with an arm. Free kick to Cameroon. It goes harmlessly past the face, but now a corner.

30min - Cameroon settle more, get into the game physically, as they surely planned to ... trying to figure out Bafana’s new shape.

SA consolidating.

23min - Let’s not get carried away, but the opening exchanges show the three at the back and Nkosinathi Sibisi’s added leadership there, winbacks that can get forward in Kabini and Mudau and a front three moving freely have given Bafana far better shape and authority.

SA’s best start to a game at the Afcon yet - they need to capitalise with goals.

15min - Bafana coming out like Ali against Foreman in the Rumble, trying to land the knockout blow with right-hand leads in the opening round. They couldn’t, Cameroon survive. But it’s a fast-paced opening 15min and Mofokeng and Pirates teammate Appollis’ movment, with Foster, looks really promising.

9min - Three glorious chances to Bafana in the opening 10min - Samukele Kabini is through one on one with keeper Devis Epassy but lifts effort over!

8min - Beautiful ball upfield by Appollis flummoxes a Lions defender, who allows it through to Mofokeng to ruin through and blast just over from just inside the box.

3min - Promising start for Bafana ... Oswin Appollis free-kick from the left of the box swung in, Lyle Foster at the near post heads centimetres wide.

8.01pm - 1min - And we have kickoff ...

8.55pm - We have the anthems at Al Medina Stadium ...

8.48pm - A quick look at the Cameroon starting line-up - this comibation, coached by local man David Pagou,has much individual quality and will provide a tough, tough battle in the physical stakes.

Bryan Mbeumo, the Manchester United forward, the star player and danger forward, though he’s yet to hit best form at the 2025 Afcon. If he does on Friday night, he will be a handful.

Cameroon starting XI: Devis Epassy (Dinamo București, Romania), Che Malone (SM Alger, Algeria), Samuel Kotto (Gent, Belgium), Nouhou Tolo (capt, Seattle Sounders, US), Danny Namaso (Auxerre, France), Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Arthur Avom (Lorient, France), Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City, England), Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United, England), Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Darlin Yongwa (Lorient, France)

8.27pm - The starting line-ups are out!

Here is Bafana Bafana - fascinating from coach Hugo Broos.

Looks to your Live Blogger like a 3-4-3.

Ronwen Williams the keeper, of course.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Siyabonga Ngezana, Nkosinathi Sibisi the three centrebacks. Samukele Kabini, in for Aubrey Modiba, and Khuliso Mudau the wingbacks outside of a central midfield two of Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena, who might be asked to get forward more.

A front three of Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis on either side of Lyle Foster.

Tshepang Moremi left to add impetus from the bench, which Bafana have lacked a little since he graduated to the starting XI after the opeing Angola win.

Bafana starting line-up: Ronwen Williams, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Siyabonga Ngezana, Nkosinathi Sibisi; Khuliso Mudau, Samukele Kabini, Teboho Mokoena, Bathusi Aubaas; Relebohile Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis, Lyle Foster

Substitutes: Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine, Tylon Smith, Khulumane Ndamane, Thalente Mbatha, Aubrey Modiba, Tshepang Moremi, Elias Mokwana, Sphephelo Sithole, Sipho Mbule, Evidence Makgopa, Shandre Campbell, Thabang Matuludi

8pm - Morocco win 1-0! That’s it, the hosts are through to meet either Bafana Bafana or Cameroon in Rabat on Friday (9pm SA time).

7.56pm - Bafana arrive at Al Medina Stadium ...

7.52pm - There are two games being played in Rabat on Sunday night.

Morocco are 1-0 up against Tanzania at a sold-out Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (87min) with about 7min of normal and added tome left.

Morocco set to win and that will make them Bafana Bafana or Cameroon’s opponents in the quarterfinals, at a no-doubt as packed Prince Moulay Abdellah on Friday (9pm SA time).

Stay tuned for the final score there...

Also, Bafana v Cameroon starting line-ups to follow...

7.40pm - Relive the Live Update Blow-By-Blows in the three Group Stage games here:

• BLOW BY BLOW | Bafana edge Zim in goal fest to reach Afcon last 16
• BLOW BY BLOW | Ten-player Egypt hang on for slender win against Bafana
• BLOW BY BLOW | Bafana tough out perfect opening result with Angola win

7.36pm - Some of Bra Mahlatse’s video coverage of the last week:

7.29pm - While we wait for kickoff, here is some of Mahlatse Mphahlele’s coverage from the last week or so, since the 2-1 win against Zimbabwe in Marrakesh on Monday that secured Bafana second place in Group B and a place in the last 16:

• Bafana into knockouts, but need to up their game after nervy Zim win
• Broos concerned about Bafana’s failure to manage matches
• Mahlatse’s daily Afcon talking point: Areas for Broos to address for Bafana for last 16
• Bafana’s group stage score card: who’s hot and who’s not?
• Mohau Nkota vows to keep fighting for his Bafana place
• Ngezana says Bafana’s Afcon inexperience not a problem as they face knockouts
• Bafana to play against Cameroon in Afcon last 16 on Sunday
• Bafana strongman Sithole calls for the team to get back to basics
• Bafana goalkeeper Goss confident ahead of crunch Afcon clash with Cameroon
• Tshepang Moremi’s track-to-field evolution
• Broos sees red over Bafana’s ’45-minute’ trek to training
• No mercy for Cameroon - Broos
• Bafana players Mofokeng and Mudau expecting physical battle from Cameroon in Afcon clash

7.15pm - Mahlatse Mphahlele has sent his Daily Afcon Talking Points in video form from Morocco each day.

Catch his last three, pertinent to this match, editions, here:

• Mahlatse’s daily Afcon talking point: Will coach Hugo Broos unleash Relebohile Mofokeng against Cameroon?
• Mahlatse’s daily Afcon talking point: Too close to call between Bafana and Cameroon
• Mahlatse’s daily Afcon talking point: Bafana v Cameroon — a clash of playing styles

6.58pm - Your LIVE UPDATES BLOGGER is Arena Holdings and TimesLIVE Digital Sports Editor Marc Strydom, for this huge clash - Bafana Bafana v Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) last 16.

I am not in Morocco but bringing you the blow-by-blow from my living room in Melville, Johannesburg.

The knowledgeable and hugely experienced Senior Football Writer Mahlatse Mphahlele, covering the Afcon in Morocco for Arena Holdings, is in the stadium Rabat - be sure to catch his report on TimesLIVE at around 11.20pm.

Refresh the story for the latest updates.

First up, here are some match details:

• Venue: Al Medina Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
• Kickoff: 8pm in Morocco, 9pm SA time
• Bafana world and Africa ranking: 61 and 11
• Cameroon world and Africa ranking: 57 and 10
• Stadium capacity: 18,000
• Stadium surface: Grass
• Match officials: Referee -

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