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Cameroon national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Cameroon women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Cameroon
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Indomitable Lions
Association Fédération Camerounaise de Football
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation UNIFFAC
(Central Africa)
Head coach Rigobert Song
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 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 11 (November 2006 – January 2007, November – December 2009)
Lowest 79 (February – March 2013)
Elo ranking
Current 59 Decrease 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
 Korea Republic 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 20 (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 (French: équipe du Cameroun de football), also known as the Indomitable Lions (French: les lions indomptables), represents Cameroon in men's international football. It is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football, a member of FIFA and its African confederation CAF.

The team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup eight times, more than any other African team, and four times in a row between 1990 and 2002. However, the team has only made it out of the group stage once. They were the first African team to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup in 1990, losing to England in extra time. They have also won five Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon is the first and, as of 2022, only African country to defeat Brazil in either friendly or tournament play, besting them in the 2003 Confederations Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup by identical 1-0 scores.

History

1956–2000: Early years

Cameroon played its first match against Belgian Congo in 1956, losing 3–2. They first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970, but were knocked out in the first round. Two years later, as hosts, the Indomitable Lions finished third after being knocked out by their neighbours and future champions Congo in the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations. They would not qualify for the competition for another ten years.

Cameroon qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 1982. With the increase from 16 teams to 24, Cameroon qualified along with Algeria to represent Africa at the tournament in Spain. Cameroon was drawn into Group 1 with Italy, Poland, and Peru. In their first game, Cameroon faced Peru and drew 0–0. They then held Poland goalless before a surprise 1–1 draw with eventual winners Italy. Despite being unbeaten, they failed to qualify for the second round, having scored fewer goals than Italy.

Two years later, Cameroon qualified for the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Ivory Coast. They finished second in their first-round group before beating Algeria on penalties in the semi-final. In the final, Cameroon beat Nigeria 3–1 with goals from René N'Djeya, Théophile Abega and Ernest Ebongué to become champions of Africa for the first time.

Argentina v cameroon 1990
Cameroon defeated reigning world champion Argentina in the first game of the 1990 World Cup.

Cameroon qualified for the 1990 World Cup by surpassing Nigeria and beating Tunisia in the final round playoff. In the final tournament, Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union. Cameroon defeated defending champions Argentina in the opening game 1–0 with a goal scored by François Omam-Biyik. Cameroon later defeated Romania 2–1 and lost to the Soviet Union 0–4, becoming the first side to top a World Cup Finals group with a negative goal difference. In the second round, Cameroon defeated Colombia 2–1 with the 38-year-old Roger Milla scoring two goals in extra-time.

In the quarter-finals, Cameroon faced England. After 25 minutes, England's David Platt scored for England, while in the second-half, Cameroon came back with a 61st-minute penalty from Emmanuel Kundé and took the lead with Eugène Ekéké on 65 minutes. England, however, equalized in the 83rd minute with a penalty from Gary Lineker, while Lineker again found the net via a 105th-minute penalty to make the eventual scoreline 3–2 for England. The team was coached by Russian manager and former player Valeri Nepomniachi.

The 1994 World Cup in the United States saw the adjustment of representation for African teams qualifying, from two to three. Cameroon qualified along with Nigeria and Morocco. In the final tournament, Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Sweden, Brazil and Russia. After a 2–2 draw against Sweden, Cameroon lost to Brazil and Russia sealed their elimination. In their last game against Russia, the then 42-year-old Roger Milla became the oldest player to play and score in a World Cup finals match. The team was coached by French-born Henri Michel.

The 1998 World Cup in France saw the increase of 24 to 32 teams, with Cameroon one of the five countries representing Africa. Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Italy, Chile and Austria. Despite drawing with Chile and Austria (after leading 1–0 against them until the 90th minute), a 3–0 defeat to Italy saw Cameroon finish bottom of the group. Cameroon had three players sent off in the course of the tournament, more than any other team. They also had the highest card count per game of any team, collecting an average of four bookings in each match they played. It was also during this tournament that a certain Samuel Eto'o was exposed to Cameroonians. He was the youngest player of the tournament alongside Michael Owen of England. The team was coached by French-born Claude Le Roy.

Post-2000

Cameroon qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan, clinching first place in their group which included Angola, Zambia and Togo. Cameroon were drawn into Group E alongside Germany, the Republic of Ireland and Saudi Arabia. Cameroon started with a 1–1 draw with Ireland after giving up the lead and later defeated Saudi Arabia 1–0. In their last game, Cameroon were defeated 2–0 by Germany and were narrowly eliminated by the Irish, who had not lost a game.

Cameroon started the 2002 African Cup of Nations competition with a 1–0 win over DR Congo. That was followed by another 1–0 win against Ivory Coast, and a comfortable 3–0 win against Togo. These results led Cameroon to qualify from the group stage to the quarter-finals as their group's winner. In the knockout stage, M'Boma's goal in the 62nd minute lifted Cameroon over Egypt 1–0. Cameroon would defeat hosts Mali 3-0 in the semi-final on 7 February on route to repeating as champions by edging Senegal 3-2 on penalties following a scoreless 120 minutes on 13 February, and thereby qualifying for the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.

There, the Indomitable Lions became the first African country to defeat Brazil, courtesy of Samuel Eto'o's tally in the 83rd minute of their opening match on 13 June. Cameroon subsequently defeated Turkey and drew the USA before dispatching Colombia in the semi-final. However, the latter was overshadowed by the sudden on-field collapse of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé in the 71st minute. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium's medical centre, he died shortly afterwards. An autopsy determined the cause of death to have been hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise. The Final on June 29 against France, consequently, became not about the game but rather an occasion for both teams and fans to honor Foé. France prevailed 1-0 following Thierry Henry's golden goal in the 7th minute of extra time, but abstained from traditional post-match celebrations. Instead, the tournament closed with one last tribute to Foé as Cameroon took a lap around the stadium holding a large photo of their fallen teammate.

In the 2006 World Cup qualifying round, Cameroon were drawn into Group 3 with the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Benin. Cameroon led the group until their final game, when Pierre Womé failed to convert a late penalty. On 8 October 2005, Cameroon drew with Egypt 1–1 while eventual World Cup debutants Ivory Coast defeated Sudan 3–1, preventing Cameroon from travelling to Germany.

In Cameroon's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, the team was grouped with Gabon, Togo and Morocco. After a slow start in their campaign with a loss to Togo, the coach of Cameroon, Otto Pfister, resigned. Frenchman Paul Le Guen was appointed as the new coach after a draw against Morocco. Le Guen's appointment caused an uprise in Cameroon's spirits as they earned a win against Gabon in Libreville, followed by another win against the Panthers four days later in Yaoundé. One month later, they defeated Togo in Yaoundé by three goals. On 14 November 2009, Cameroon defeated the Atlas Lions of Morocco 2–0 in Fez in their last match of their campaign. Gabon was also defeated by Togo 1–0 in Lomé. Both results caused Cameroon to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals, held in South Africa.

The Indomitable Lions were the first team to be mathematically eliminated in the 2010 World Cup, going out in their second group match to Denmark after losing 1–2, preceded by a 0–1 defeat to Japan.

Cameroon started the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations competition with a 1–1 draw to Burkina Faso, followed by a 2–1 win against Guinea-Bissau, and an unconvincing goalless draw against the hosts Gabon. These results were enough for Cameroon to qualify from the group stage to the quarter-finals, where they met Senegal in a close match that Cameroon won 5–4 in a penalty shootout after it had ended goalless in extra time. In the semi-finals, Cameroon met Ghana and won the match 2–0 to qualify to the final.

On 5 February 2017, and after a close match, Cameroon won the African Cup of Nations for the fifth time after defeating seven-time champions Egypt 2–1 in the final, by Vincent Aboubakar's late goal in the 89th minute of the match. As champions, Cameroon qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Cameroon qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar via the away goals rule after defeating hosts Algeria 2-1 on 29 March 2022 thanks to Karl Toko Ekambi's winner in the 124th minute of the second leg of their CAF third round home-and-away tie with The Fennec Foxes. On 2 December 2022, in the final match of Group G, The Indomitable Lions made history by becoming the first African country to defeat Brazil at the World Cup. Vincent Aboubakar netted the contest's lone goal in the 2nd minute of stoppage time, and subsequently received his second booking and dismissal for removing his shirt during his celebration. It was the Seleção's first group stage loss since a 2-1 defeat to Norway in 1998 and Cameroon's first ever World Cup win since 2002. Cameroon failed to advance from their group, however, as they finished third behind Brazil and Switzerland, respectively.

Kits and crests

The Cameroon national football team's tradition color is green shirts, red shorts and yellow socks, colors of the national flag.

Cameroon national football team had long-term partnership with Puma. Since 2022 it is sponsored by One All Sports.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period Notes
France Le Coq Sportif 1982–1987
Germany Adidas 1988–1993
United Kingdom Mitre 1993–1995
Italy Lotto 1995–1996
Germany Adidas 1996–1997
Germany Puma 1998–2018
France Le Coq Sportif 2019–2022
United States One All Sports 2022–present

Results and fixtures

Main page: Cameroon national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Lose

2021

2022

2023

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Cameroon Rigobert Song
Assistant coach Cameroon Bertrand Njiguélé
Assistant coach #2 Cameroon Augustine Simo
Goalkeeping coach Cameroon Souleymanou Hamidou
Fitness coach Cameroon Pierre Ngé-Ngum

Coaching history

  • Technical Committee (1960–1965)
  • France Dominique Colonna (1965–1970)
  • Cameroon Raymond Fobete (1970)
  • West Germany Peter Schnittger (1970–1973)
  • Yugoslavia Vladimir Beara (1973–1975)
  • Yugoslavia Ivan Ridanović (1976–1979)
  • Yugoslavia Branko Žutić (1980–1982)
  • France Jean Vincent (1982)
  • Yugoslavia Radivoje Ognjanović (1982–1984)
  • France Claude Le Roy (1985–1988, 1998)
  • Soviet Union Valery Nepomnyashchy (1988–1990)
  • France Philippe Redon (1990–1993)
  • Cameroon Jean Manga-Onguéné (1993–1994, 1997–1998)
  • Cameroon Léonard Nseké (1994)
  • France Henri Michel (1994)
  • Cameroon Jules Nyongha (1994–1996, 2007)
  • Belgium Henri Depireux (1996–1997)
  • France Pierre Lechantre (1998–2001)
  • France Robert Corfou (2001)
  • Cameroon Jean-Paul Akono (2001, 2012–2013)
  • Germany Winfried Schäfer (2001–2004)
  • Portugal Artur Jorge (2004–2006)
  • Netherlands Arie Haan (2006–2007)
  • Germany Otto Pfister (2007–2009)
  • Cameroon Thomas N'Kono (2009)
  • France Paul Le Guen (2009–2010)
  • Spain Javier Clemente (2010–2011)
  • France Denis Lavagne (2011–2012)
  • Germany Volker Finke (2013–2015)
  • Cameroon Alexandre Belinga (2015–2016)
  • Belgium Hugo Broos (2016–2017)
  • Cameroon Rigobert Song (2017–2018, 2022–present)
  • Netherlands Clarence Seedorf (2018–2019)
  • Portugal Toni Conceição (2019–2022)

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were named to the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Caps and goals correct as of 2 December 2022, after the match against Brazil.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Simon Ngapandouetnbu (2003-04-12) 12 April 2003 (age 20) 0 0 France Marseille
16 1GK Devis Epassy (1993-02-02) 2 February 1993 (age 30) 7 0 Saudi Arabia Abha
3 2DF Nicolas Nkoulou (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 33) 80 2 Greece Aris
4 2DF Christopher Wooh (2001-09-18) 18 September 2001 (age 21) 4 0 France Rennes
17 2DF Olivier Mbaizo (1997-08-15) 15 August 1997 (age 25) 11 0 United States Philadelphia Union
19 2DF Collins Fai (1992-08-13) 13 August 1992 (age 30) 55 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Tai
21 2DF Jean-Charles Castelletto (1995-01-26) 26 January 1995 (age 28) 16 1 France Nantes
24 2DF Enzo Ebosse (1999-03-11) 11 March 1999 (age 24) 3 0 Italy Udinese
25 2DF Nouhou Tolo (1997-06-23) 23 June 1997 (age 25) 21 0 United States Seattle Sounders
2 3MF Jerome Ngom Mbekeli (1998-09-30) 30 September 1998 (age 24) 3 0 Cameroon Colombe Sportive
5 3MF Gaël Ondoua (1995-11-04) 4 November 1995 (age 27) 6 0 Germany Hannover 96
8 3MF André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (1995-11-16) 16 November 1995 (age 27) 46 5 Italy Napoli
14 3MF Samuel Gouet (1997-12-14) 14 December 1997 (age 25) 24 0 Belgium Mechelen
15 3MF Pierre Kunde (1995-07-26) 26 July 1995 (age 27) 34 1 Greece Olympiacos
18 3MF Martin Hongla (1998-03-16) 16 March 1998 (age 25) 21 0 Italy Hellas Verona
22 3MF Olivier Ntcham (1996-02-09) 9 February 1996 (age 27) 4 0 Wales Swansea City
6 4FW Moumi Ngamaleu (1994-07-09) 9 July 1994 (age 28) 44 4 Russia Dynamo Moscow
7 4FW Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (1995-02-13) 13 February 1995 (age 28) 4 0 Turkey Beşiktaş
9 4FW Jean-Pierre Nsame (1993-05-01) 1 May 1993 (age 30) 4 0 Switzerland Young Boys
10 4FW Vincent Aboubakar (captain) (1992-01-22) 22 January 1992 (age 31) 94 35 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
11 4FW Christian Bassogog (1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 27) 44 7 People's Republic of China Shanghai Shenhua
12 4FW Karl Toko Ekambi (1992-09-14) 14 September 1992 (age 30) 54 12 France Lyon
13 4FW Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (1989-03-23) 23 March 1989 (age 34) 72 20 Germany Bayern Munich
20 4FW Bryan Mbeumo (1999-08-07) 7 August 1999 (age 23) 6 0 England Brentford
26 4FW Souaibou Marou (2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 22) 3 1 Cameroon Coton Sport

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK André Onana (1996-04-02) 2 April 1996 (age 27) 34 0 Italy Internazionale 2022 FIFA World Cup RET
GK Marcelin Mbahbi (2000-01-21) 21 January 2000 (age 23) 1 0 Cameroon Gazelle FC v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
GK Haschou Kerrido (1994-06-02) 2 June 1994 (age 29) 0 0 Cameroon Union Douala v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
GK Patrick Kibiyen (1998-09-19) 19 September 1998 (age 24) 0 0 Cameroon Bamboutos v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
GK James Bievenue Djaoyang - 0 0 Cameroon Canon Yaoundé v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
GK Simon Omossola (1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 (age 25) 2 0 Democratic Republic of the Congo Vita Club v.  Burundi, 9 June 2022
GK Jean Efala (1992-08-11) 11 August 1992 (age 30) 1 0 Nigeria Akwa United 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
GK Narcisse Nlend (1991-09-10) 10 September 1991 (age 31) 0 0 Cameroon Coton Sport 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Bawak Etta (1994-07-10) 10 July 1994 (age 28) 1 0 Cameroon PWD Bamenda v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Brandon Djoufack (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 33) 0 0 Cameroon Bamboutos v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Houzaifi Youssoufa (1999-08-08) 8 August 1999 (age 23) 1 0 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Saidou Ibrahim (2001-06-04) 4 June 2001 (age 21) 0 0 Cameroon Fauve Azur Elite v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Yves Alain Moukoko (1990-06-26) 26 June 1990 (age 32) 1 0 Cameroon Canon Yaoundé v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Alfred Benga 0 0 Cameroon Les Astres v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Yannick Joachim Noah (2004-03-11) 11 March 2004 (age 19) 0 0 Cameroon Dragon Club v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Che Malone (1999-05-23) 23 May 1999 (age 24) 1 0 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
DF Darlin Yongwa (2000-09-21) 21 September 2000 (age 22) 1 0 France Lorient v.  Korea Republic, 27 September 2022
DF Oumar Gonzalez (1998-02-25) 25 February 1998 (age 25) 0 0 France Ajaccio v.  Korea Republic, 27 September 2022
DF Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (1990-11-23) 23 November 1990 (age 32) 53 4 Belgium Gent v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022
DF Enzo Tchato (2002-11-23) 23 November 2002 (age 20) 0 0 France Montpellier v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
DF Ambroise Oyongo (1991-06-22) 22 June 1991 (age 31) 51 2 Free agent v.  Burundi, 9 June 2022
DF Duplexe Tchamba (1998-07-10) 10 July 1998 (age 24) 2 0 Portugal Casa Pia v.  Burundi, 9 June 2022
DF Harold Moukoudi (1997-11-27) 27 November 1997 (age 25) 11 0 Greece AEK Athens v.  Algeria, 29 March 2022
DF Jérôme Onguéné (1997-12-22) 22 December 1997 (age 25) 10 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Joyskim Dawa (1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 27) 7 0 Romania FCSB 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Jean-Claude Billong (1993-12-28) 28 December 1993 (age 29) 3 0 Romania CFR Cluj 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Sacha Boey (2000-09-13) 13 September 2000 (age 22) 0 0 Turkey Galatasaray 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Samuel Kotto (2003-09-08) 8 September 2003 (age 19) 0 0 Cameroon APEJES Academy 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Joseph Iyendjock (2003-05-29) 29 May 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Cameroon Union Douala v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Martial Zemba Ikoung (1999-02-18) 18 February 1999 (age 24) 1 0 Cameroon APEJES Academy v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Djawal Kaiba (2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 20) 1 1 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Félix Oukiné (1999-12-26) 26 December 1999 (age 23) 0 0 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Valentin Beo Bato (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 26) 1 0 Cameroon Colombe Sportive v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Louis Enjonaei Mbah (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 26) 1 0 Cameroon Eding Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Henry Paul Tchikeu (2000-05-20) 20 May 2000 (age 23) 0 0 Cameroon Canon Yaoundé v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
MF Georges Mandjeck (1988-12-09) 9 December 1988 (age 34) 51 0 Republic of Cyprus Nea Salamis v.  Korea Republic, 27 September 2022
MF Jean Onana (2000-01-08) 8 January 2000 (age 23) 10 0 France Lens v.  Korea Republic, 27 September 2022
MF Brice Ambina (2001-11-17) 17 November 2001 (age 21) 0 0 South Africa Cape Town City v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
MF Jeando Fuchs (1997-10-11) 11 October 1997 (age 25) 2 0 England Peterborough United v.  Burundi, 9 June 2022
MF Arnaud Djoum (1989-05-02) 2 May 1989 (age 34) 28 0 Scotland Dundee United v.  Algeria, 29 March 2022
MF James Léa Siliki (1996-06-12) 12 June 1996 (age 26) 11 0 Portugal Estoril 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Yvan Neyou (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 26) 5 0 Spain Leganés 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Harisson Djonkep (2001-04-08) 8 April 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Cameroon Eding Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Patient Wassou (2004-04-22) 22 April 2004 (age 19) 1 0 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Ebassa Emmanuel 0 0 Cameroon Renaissance v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Joseph Apam (1998-12-31) 31 December 1998 (age 24) 1 0 Cameroon APEJES Academy v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Kemajou Dibani (1995-04-12) 12 April 1995 (age 28) --> 1 0 Cameroon Bamboutos v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Ramses Donfack 0 0 Cameroon Coton Sport v.  Jamaica, 9 November 2022
FW Léandre Tawamba (1989-12-20) 20 December 1989 (age 33) 7 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Taawoun v.  Korea Republic, 27 September 2022
FW Stéphane Bahoken (1992-05-28) 28 May 1992 (age 31) 22 4 Turkey Kasımpaşa v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
FW Ignatius Ganago (1999-02-16) 16 February 1999 (age 24) 11 0 France Lens v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
FW Danny Loader (2000-08-28) 28 August 2000 (age 22) 0 0 Portugal Porto v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
FW Didier Lamkel Zé (1996-09-17) 17 September 1996 (age 26) 0 0 Belgium Kortrijk v.  Uzbekistan, 23 September 2022 PRE
FW Kévin Soni (1998-04-17) 17 April 1998 (age 25) 1 0 Turkey Hatayspor v.  Burundi, 9 June 2022
FW Clinton N'Jie (1993-08-15) 15 August 1993 (age 29) 42 10 Turkey Sivasspor 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Paul-Georges Ntep (1992-07-29) 29 July 1992 (age 30) 4 1 Free agent 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW John Mary (1993-03-09) 9 March 1993 (age 30) 1 0 Japan Avispa Fukuoka 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Jeremy Ebobisse (1997-02-14) 14 February 1997 (age 26) 0 0 United States San Jose Earthquakes 2021 Africa Cup of Nations PRE

INJ = Withdrew from the squad due to injury
SUS = Serving suspension
PRE = Preliminary squad / standby
RET = Retired from international football
WD = Withdrew from the squad

Records

Players in bold are still active with Cameroon.

Most appearances

Rigobert Song 2008
Rigobert Song is Cameroon's most capped player with 137 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Rigobert Song 137 5 1993–2010
2 Samuel Eto'o 118 56 1997–2014
Geremi Njitap 118 13 1996–2010
4 Emmanuel Kundé 102 17 1979–1992
5 Vincent Aboubakar 94 35 2010–present
6 Jacques Songo'o 80 0 1983–2002
Nicolas Nkoulou 80 2 2008–present
8 Roger Milla 77 43 1973–1994
9 François Omam-Biyik 73 26 1985–1998
Carlos Kameni 73 0 2001–2019

Top goalscorers

Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o is Cameroon's top goalscorer with 56 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Samuel Eto'o (list) 56 118 0.47 1997–2014
2 Roger Milla 43 77 0.56 1973–1994
3 Vincent Aboubakar 35 94 0.37 2010–present
4 Patrick M'Boma 33 55 0.6 1995–2004
5 François Omam-Biyik 26 73 0.36 1985–1998
6 Alphonse Tchami 21 57 0.37 1988–1998
7 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 20 72 0.28 2010–present
8 Pierre Webó 19 59 0.32 2003–2014
9 Emmanuel Kundé 17 102 0.17 1979–1992
10 André Kana-Biyik 15 59 0.25 1985–1994

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main page: Cameroon at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 4
West Germany 1974 3 1 1 1 1 3
Argentina 1978 2 0 1 1 2 4
Spain 1982 Group stage 17th 3 0 3 0 1 1 Squad 8 5 1 2 16 5
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 5
Italy 1990 Quarter-finals 7th 5 3 0 2 7 9 Squad 8 6 1 1 12 6
United States 1994 Group stage 22nd 3 0 1 2 3 11 Squad 8 5 2 1 14 4
France 1998 25th 3 0 2 1 2 5 Squad 6 4 2 0 10 4
South Korea Japan 2002 20th 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 10 8 1 1 20 4
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 10 6 3 1 18 10
South Africa 2010 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 2 5 Squad 12 9 2 1 23 4
Brazil 2014 32nd 3 0 0 3 1 9 Squad 8 5 2 1 12 4
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 8 2 5 1 10 9
Qatar 2022 Group stage 19th 3 1 1 1 4 4 Squad 8 6 0 2 16 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total Quarter-finals 8/22 26 5 8 13 22 47 — 95 57 23 15 159 70

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad
France 2003 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 3 1 Squad
Germany 2005 Did not qualify
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad
Total Runners-up 3/10 11 4 2 5 7 11 —

Africa Cup of Nations

Main page: Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France
Egypt 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965 Did not enter
Ethiopia 1968 Did not qualify
Sudan 1970 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 7 5
Cameroon 1972 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 5
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify
Ethiopia 1976
Ghana 1978
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982 Group stage 5th 3 0 3 0 1 1
Côte d'Ivoire 1984 Champions 1st 5 3 1 1 9 3
Egypt 1986 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 8 5
Morocco 1988 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 4 1
Algeria 1990 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 3
Senegal 1992 Fourth place 4th 5 2 2 1 4 3
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify
South Africa 1996 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 5 7
Burkina Faso 1998 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 1 1 5 4
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Champions 1st 6 3 2 1 11 5
Mali 2002 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 9 0
Tunisia 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 7 6
Egypt 2006 5th 4 3 1 0 8 2
Ghana 2008 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 14 8
Angola 2010 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 6 8
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Did not qualify
South Africa 2013
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 2 3
Gabon 2017 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 7 3
Egypt 2019 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 4 3
Cameroon 2021 Third place 3rd 7 4 3 0 14 7
Côte d'Ivoire 2023 To be determined
2025
Total 5 Titles 20/33 91 45 30 16 137 82
*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalties.
**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

African Nations Championship

African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 4
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Côte d'Ivoire 2009 Did not qualify
Sudan 2011 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 5 0
South Africa 2014 Did not qualify
Rwanda 2016 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 4
Morocco 2018 Group stage 12th 3 0 1 2 1 3
Cameroon 2020 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 4 8
Algeria 2022 Qualified
Total Fourth place 4/6 17 7 5 5 14 15

Summer Olympics

Olympic Games record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1900
to
Italy 1960		 Did not enter
Japan 1964
to
West Germany 1972		 Did not qualify
Canada 1976 Did not enter
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984 Round 1 11th 3 1 0 2 3 5
South Korea 1988 Did not qualify
1992–present See Cameroon national under-23 football team
Total Round 1 1/19 3 1 0 2 3 5
Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.

African Games

See also: Cameroon national under-23 football team
African Games
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Algeria 1978|th 3 0 2 1 2 3
Kenya 1987 4th 5 2 2 1 11 8
Total 2/4 0 0 0 0 0 0

Honours

See also

  • Cameroon women's national football team
  • Cultural significance of the lion in Cameroon
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