By Bola Yapa Zed Sports Desk | 5th January 2026
South Africa’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign came to a painful end on Sunday night after Cameroon secured a 2–1 victory in their round of 16 encounter, eliminating Bafana Bafana from the tournament in Morocco.
Despite a promising start and long spells of dominance, Hugo Broos’ side once again paid the price for missed chances as Cameroon showed clinical efficiency at both ends of the pitch.
Bright Start, No Reward for Bafana
South Africa started the match on the front foot, controlling possession and dictating the tempo in the opening stages. In the 13th minute, Lyle Foster thought he had given Bafana Bafana the lead, but his goal was ruled out for offside, denying South Africa an early breakthrough.
Bafana continued to dominate the first 25 minutes, creating several promising openings. However, wasteful finishing and a lack of composure in the final third prevented them from turning dominance into goals.
Cameroon Strike Against the Run of Play
Against the flow of the game, Cameroon opened the scoring in the 33rd minute from a corner kick that South Africa failed to deal with effectively. Carlos Baleba’s initial effort was deflected, falling kindly to Junior Tchamadeu, who calmly fired home from close range into the bottom-right corner, leaving Ronwen Williams helpless.
The goal shifted momentum firmly in Cameroon’s favour, with the Indomitable Lions growing in confidence and control as the first half progressed. They went into the break holding a deserved 1–0 lead.
Early Second-Half Blow
Cameroon wasted no time extending their advantage after halftime. Just two minutes into the second half, Christian Kofane rose highest to head home an accurate cross from Aboubakar Nagida, doubling the Indomitable Lions’ lead and putting South Africa under serious pressure.
The early goal forced Bafana Bafana to chase the game, leaving gaps that Cameroon looked comfortable exploiting.
Late Consolation Not Enough
South Africa pushed hard in search of a way back into the contest and were finally rewarded in the 88th minute. Evidence Makgopa finished from close range into the bottom-left corner after a well-delivered cross from Aubrey Modiba, giving Bafana Bafana a lifeline.
However, the goal came too late to spark a comeback, as Cameroon saw out the remaining minutes with discipline and experience to seal a 2–1 victory.
What’s Next
Cameroon now advance to the AFCON 2025 quarterfinals, where they will face tournament hosts Morocco on Friday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
For South Africa, the defeat marks a frustrating end to a campaign that showed promise but ultimately fell short when it mattered most.
