Indomitable Lions loom large in Bafana’s knockout path at AFCON

Bafana Bafana face their sternest test of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they meet Cameroon in Sunday’s round-of-16 clash at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat at 9pm.

It is a fixture that pits South Africa’s ball-playing identity against the raw physicality and tournament know-how of the five-time African champions, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

Bafana progressed as Group B runners-up, edging Angola and Zimbabwe 2–1 and narrowly losing 1–0 to Egypt.

Hugo Broos’ men were not free-flowing, but they were efficient, resilient and comfortable winning tight matches.

That profile presents a different challenge to anything Cameroon have faced so far in Morocco. 

Cameroon rely on athleticism, aerial dominance and power across the pitch — areas where South Africa may also struggle to match them directly.

For that reason, Hugo Broos is expected to resist the temptation to engage Cameroon physically and instead double down on Bafana’s strengths. Retaining possession, dictating tempo and forcing Cameroon to chase the ball could be South Africa’s most effective route to control.

The presence of a line-breaking midfielder such as Sipho Mbule may be key. Bafana will need creativity between the lines to pull Cameroon out of shape rather than long balls or duels that favour the Lions.

South Africa arrive in the knockout stages with measured confidence. They collected six points from three group matches, starting their campaign with a victory over Angola, sealed by Lyle Foster.

That momentum stalled briefly in a defeat to Egypt, a match that exposed defensive lapses but left qualification in Bafana’s hands heading into the final group game.

Under pressure Broos’ side responded with a dramatic 3–2 win over Zimbabwe. Goals from Tshepang Moremi and Foster, followed by a late Oswin Appollis penalty, secured progression — though conceding in each victory remains a concern.

History offers cautious encouragement. Bafana are AFCON champions once, having lifted the trophy in 1996, and have recently eliminated Egypt in 2019 and Morocco in 2023 during knockout football.

A compelling subplot lies on the South Africa bench. Broos famously guided Cameroon to AFCON glory in 2017, granting him deep insight into their mentality and tournament rhythms — knowledge that has shaped Bafana’s structured pressing and game management.

The head-to-head record also favours South Africa more than expected. Bafana have not lost a competitive match to Cameroon since the early 1990s and won their only AFCON meeting in 1996.

Cameroon, however, remain dangerous. Their group-stage return of four goals scored and two conceded reflects a pragmatic side comfortable in knockout scenarios, even if recent tournaments have ended at this stage.

On Sunday, the margin for error will be slim. If Bafana impose their rhythm and remain disciplined, a quarterfinal place is within reach. If not, Cameroon’s physical authority could end their run.