Cameroon national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cameroon

Nickname(s)	Les Lions Indomptables (The Indomitable Lions)
Association	Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNIFFAC (Central Africa)
Head coach	Marc Brys
Captain	Vincent Aboubakar
Most caps	Rigobert Song (137)
Top scorer	Samuel Eto'o (56)
Home stadium	Olembe Stadium
FIFA code	CMR
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	56 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	11 (November 2006 – January 2007, November – December 2009)
Lowest	79 (February – March 2013)
Elo ranking
Current	59 8 (3 March 2019)
Highest	12 (June 2003)
Lowest	76 (April 1995)
First international
Belgian Congo 3–2 French Cameroon (Belgian Congo; September 1956)
Biggest win
Cameroon 9–0 Chad  (Kinshasa, DR Congo; 7 April 1965)
Biggest defeat
South Korea 5–0 Cameroon  (Seoul, South Korea; 4 October 1984)  Norway 6–1 Cameroon  (Oslo, Norway; 31 October 1990)  Russia 6–1 Cameroon  (Palo Alto, United States; 28 June 1994)  Costa Rica 5–0 Cameroon  (San José, Costa Rica; 9 March 1997)
World Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1982)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1990)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	22 (first in 1970)
Best result	Champions (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2011)
Best result	Fourth place (2020)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 2001)
Best result	Runners-up (2003)

The Cameroon national football team, also known as the Indomitable Lions, represents Cameroon in men's international football games. The team is managed by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football, which is part of FIFA and the CAF.

Cameroon has played in the FIFA World Cup eight times. This is more than any other African team! They even qualified four times in a row between 1990 and 2002. However, they have only made it past the first group stage once. In 1990, they were the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, where they lost to England in extra time. They have also won the Africa Cup of Nations five times.

Cameroon is the first and only African country to beat Brazil in a tournament match. They won 1–0 against Brazil in the 2003 Confederations Cup and again in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Team History

Early Years (1956–2000)

Cameroon played its first match in 1956, losing 3–2 to Belgian Congo. They first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970. Two years later, as the host country, the Indomitable Lions finished third in the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon played in its first FIFA World Cup in 1982. They were in a group with Italy, Poland, and Peru. Cameroon drew all three of their games, including a surprise 1–1 draw with Italy, who went on to win the tournament. Even though they didn't lose any games, they didn't score enough goals to move to the next round.

In 1984, Cameroon won the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. They beat Nigeria 3–1 in the final.

The 1990 World Cup was a big moment for Cameroon. They were in a group with Argentina, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Cameroon famously beat defending champions Argentina 1–0 in the opening game. They then beat Romania 2–1. In the second round, they defeated Colombia 2–1, with 38-year-old Roger Milla scoring two goals in extra time.

In the quarter-finals, Cameroon played England. England scored first, but Cameroon came back with two goals to lead 2–1. England then scored two penalties, winning the game 3–2 in extra time. The team was coached by Valeri Nepomniachi.

Countries that qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup are shown in dark green

The national football team of Cameroon

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Cameroon drew 2–2 with Sweden but lost to Brazil and Russia. This meant they were out of the tournament. In their last game against Russia, 42-year-old Roger Milla became the oldest player to play and score in a World Cup match.

In the 1998 World Cup in France, Cameroon drew with Chile and Austria. However, a 3–0 loss to Italy meant they finished last in their group. This tournament was important because it introduced a young player named Samuel Eto'o to the world.

After 2000

Cameroon qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan. They drew 1–1 with the Republic of Ireland and beat Saudi Arabia 1–0. In their final group game, they lost 2–0 to Germany and were just barely eliminated.

In the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Cameroon won all their group games. They then beat Egypt 1–0 in the quarter-finals and Mali 3–0 in the semi-finals. In the final, they won against Senegal 3–2 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw. This win qualified them for the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.

At the 2003 Confederations Cup, Cameroon made history by becoming the first African country to beat Brazil, with Samuel Eto'o scoring the winning goal. They reached the final but lost 1–0 to France. This tournament was sad because Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed during a semi-final match and later passed away. Both teams and fans honored him in the final.

Cameroon did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup. In their final qualifying game, Pierre Womé missed a late penalty, which meant Ivory Coast qualified instead.

For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Cameroon had a tough start. But after a new coach, Paul Le Guen, joined, their performance improved. They won several games and qualified for the World Cup. However, they were the first team to be eliminated from the 2010 World Cup, losing their first two group matches.

Between 2013 and 2015, Volker Finke was the manager of the national football team of Cameroon.

In the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon drew with Burkina Faso, beat Guinea-Bissau, and drew with Gabon. They reached the quarter-finals and won a penalty shootout against Senegal. In the semi-finals, they beat Ghana 2–0. On February 5, 2017, Cameroon won the Africa Cup of Nations for the fifth time, beating Egypt 2–1 in the final with a late goal from Vincent Aboubakar. As champions, they played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup but were eliminated in the group stage.

Cameroon qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by beating Algeria. On December 2, 2022, they made history again by becoming the first African country to defeat Brazil at the World Cup, winning 1–0 with a goal from Vincent Aboubakar. Even with this big win, Cameroon did not advance from their group.

The Indomitable Lions also qualified for the AfCoN 2023 (played in January 2024). They had some challenges in the qualifiers but secured their spot with a 3–0 victory over Burundi.

Team Colors and Jerseys

The Cameroon national football team's traditional colors are green shirts, red shorts, and yellow socks. These are the colors of the national flag.

Cameroon had a long partnership with the sports brand Puma.

Jersey Controversies

Cameroon used sleeveless Puma shirts at the 2002 African Cup of Nations, which they won. However, FIFA did not allow them to use these shirts at the 2002 World Cup, so black sleeves were added.

In the 2004 African Cup of Nations, Puma designed a special one-piece kit for the team. FIFA said this kit was against the rules because kits must have separate shirts and shorts. FIFA fined Cameroon and took away six points from their qualifying campaign. Puma argued that the rules didn't say kits had to be two pieces. Puma lost the case, and Cameroon had to wear two-piece kits. FIFA later gave the six qualifying points back to Cameroon.

Recent Matches

Here are some of Cameroon's recent match results:

• On January 9, 2024, Cameroon drew 1–1 with Zambia in a friendly match.
• In the 2023 AFCON, Cameroon drew 1–1 with Guinea on January 15, 2024.
• On January 19, 2024, Cameroon lost 3–1 to Senegal in the 2023 AFCON.
• Cameroon won 3–2 against Gambia in the 2023 AFCON on January 23, 2024.
• On January 27, 2024, Cameroon lost 2–0 to Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON Round of 16.
• Cameroon won 4–1 against Cape Verde in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on June 8, 2024.
• On June 11, 2024, Cameroon drew 1–1 with Angola in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
• Cameroon won 1–0 against Namibia in a 2025 AFCON qualifier on September 7, 2024.
• On September 10, 2024, Cameroon drew 0–0 with Zimbabwe in a 2025 AFCON qualifier.
• Cameroon won 4–1 against Kenya in a 2025 AFCON qualifier on October 11, 2024.
• On October 14, 2024, Cameroon won 1–0 against Kenya in a 2025 AFCON qualifier.
• Cameroon drew 0–0 with Namibia in a 2025 AFCON qualifier on November 13, 2024.
• On November 19, 2024, Cameroon won 2–1 against Zimbabwe in a 2025 AFCON qualifier.
• Cameroon drew 0–0 with Eswatini in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on March 17, 2025.
• On March 25, 2025, Cameroon won 3–1 against Libya in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
• Cameroon won 3–0 against Uganda in a friendly match on June 6, 2025.

Coaching Team

The current head coach for the Cameroon national football team is Marc Brys. He is supported by assistant coaches, a goalkeeping coach, and other staff members who help the team prepare for matches.

Team Records

Most Games Played

Rigobert Song is Cameroon's most capped player with 137 appearances.

The player who has played the most games for Cameroon is Rigobert Song, with 137 appearances. Other players with many games include Samuel Eto'o and Geremi Njitap.

Top Goal Scorers

Samuel Eto'o is Cameroon's top goalscorer with 56 goals.

The player who has scored the most goals for Cameroon is Samuel Eto'o, with 56 goals. He is followed by Vincent Aboubakar and Roger Milla.

Team Achievements

Cameroon has won many important football competitions:

• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2003

• CAF African Cup of Nations
  • Champions (5): 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017
  • Runners-up (2): 1986, 2008
  • Third place (2): 1972, 2021

• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
  • Champions (1): 1985

They have also won regional cups like the UDEAC Cup and CEMAC Cup multiple times.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Camerún para niños