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Cameroon national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Cameroon women's national football team.
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Cameroon
Shirt badge/Association crest
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 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
 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 21 (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 international football matches for men. It is managed by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football, which is part of FIFA and the CAF.

The team 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. The Indomitable Lions were the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990. 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 game. They did this in the 2003 Confederations Cup and again in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Both times, they won with a score of 1-0.

History of the Indomitable Lions

Early Years: 1956–2000

Cameroon played its very first football match in 1956 against Belgian Congo, losing 3–2. They first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970. Two years later, in 1972, Cameroon hosted the tournament and finished third.

The team made its first appearance in the FIFA World Cup in 1982. They were in a group with strong teams like Italy and Poland. Cameroon drew all three of their matches, including a 1–1 draw with Italy, who went on to win the World Cup. Even though they didn't lose a game, they didn't score enough goals to move past the first round.

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

The 1990 World Cup was a huge moment for Cameroon. They were in a group with Argentina, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Cameroon shocked everyone by beating 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 amazing goals in extra time.

In the quarter-finals, Cameroon played against England. It was a very close game. England scored first, but Cameroon came back to lead 2–1. However, England scored two penalties, winning 3–2 in extra time. This was the first time an African team reached the World Cup quarter-finals.

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

Cameroon also played in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. They drew with Sweden but lost to Brazil and Russia. In their last game against Russia, Roger Milla, at 42 years old, became the oldest player to play and score in a World Cup match.

At the 1998 World Cup in France, Cameroon was in a tough group. They drew with Chile and Austria but lost to Italy. This tournament was also where a young player named Samuel Eto'o first became known.

After 2000: More Success and Challenges

Cameroon qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan. They drew with the Republic of Ireland and beat Saudi Arabia. However, a loss to Germany meant they were just barely knocked out of the tournament.

In the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Cameroon had a great run. They won all their group games and then beat Egypt and Mali. In the final, they won against Senegal in a penalty shootout, becoming champions of Africa for the second time in a row.

This win qualified them for the 2003 Confederations Cup in France. Here, the Indomitable Lions made history by being the first African country to beat Brazil. They reached the final, but the tournament was marked by a sad event. Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed during a semi-final match and later passed away. The final against France became a tribute to him. France won 1-0, but both teams honored Foé after the game.

Cameroon narrowly missed qualifying for the 2006 World Cup after a late penalty kick was missed in their final qualifying game.

They returned to the World Cup stage in 2010 in South Africa. However, they were the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losing their first two group matches.

In the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon showed great strength. They made it through the group stage and then beat Senegal in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. They went on to defeat Ghana in the semi-finals. On 5 February 2017, Cameroon won their fifth African Cup of Nations title by beating seven-time champions Egypt 2–1 in the final. Vincent Aboubakar scored the winning goal in the last minute.

Cameroon qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in a very exciting way. They won their final qualifying match against Algeria with a goal in the 124th minute! In the World Cup, they made history again by beating Brazil 1–0. This was Brazil's first group stage loss since 1998. Even with this big win, Cameroon did not advance from their group.

The team also qualified for the AfCoN 2023 (played in January 2024). They secured their spot in the last game with goals from Bryan Mbeumo, Christopher Wooh, and Vincent Aboubakar.

Kits and Crests

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

The team has had different kit suppliers over the years, including famous brands like Puma and Adidas.

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
Thailand One All Sports 2022–2024
Germany Adidas 2025–present

Results and Fixtures

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

Here are some recent and upcoming matches for the team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023 Matches

2024 Matches

2025 Upcoming Matches

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head coach Belgium Marc Brys
Assistant coaches Democratic Republic of the Congo Joachim Mununga
Cameroon Ndtoungou Mpile Martin
Cameroon Pagou David
Goalkeeping coach Cameroon Idriss Carlos Kameni
Video analyst Greece Giannis Xilouris
Fitness coach France Christophe Manouvrier
Doctor Cameroon Dr. Fotso Gwabap Patrick Joel
Physiotherapist Cameroon Daniel Che Awah
Physiotherapist Cameroon Elias Kaleguem Fomekong
General Coordinator of National teams Cameroon Benoit Christian Angbwa
Assistant coordinator 1 Cameroon Serge Reinold Pensy
Assistant coordinator 2 Cameroon Sarah Ntui
Team manager Cameroon Nicolas Alnoudji
Team Media officer Cameroon Elie Thierry Ndoh
Liaison officer Cameroon Arnold Ebolo Abada
Technical director Cameroon Engelbert Janvier Mbarga Ondoa

Team Records

Most Appearances

Rigobert Song 2008
Rigobert Song is Cameroon's most capped player with 137 appearances.

These players have played the most games for Cameroon:

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 Vincent Aboubakar 106 41 2010–present
5 Emmanuel Kundé 102 17 1979–1992
6 Nicolas Nkoulou 83 2 2008–present
7 Jacques Songo'o 80 0 1983–2002
8 Roger Milla 77 43 1973–1994
9 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 73 20 2010–present
Carlos Kameni 73 0 2001–2019
François Omam-Biyik 73 26 1985–1998

Top Goalscorers

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

These players have scored the most goals for Cameroon:

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 41 106 0.39 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 73 0.27 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 Achievements

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Cameroon at the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest football tournament in the world.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 4
West Germany 1974 3 1 0 2 1 3
Argentina 1978 2 0 1 1 2 4
Spain 1982 First 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 14 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 2 2 0 9 3
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Quarter-finals 8/15 26 5 8 13 22 47 — 97 58 23 16 162 73

FIFA Confederations Cup

The FIFA Confederations Cup was a tournament for champions from different continents.

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 article: Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations

The Africa Cup of Nations is the main football competition for African teams.

Africa Cup of Nations record Africa Cup of Nations qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France Part of  France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965 Did not enter Did not enter
Ethiopia 1968 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 4 7
Sudan 1970 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 7 5 4 3 1 0 7 6
Cameroon 1972 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 5 Qualified as hosts
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 3
Ethiopia 1976 2 1 0 1 3 4
Ghana 1978 2 1 0 1 2 4
Nigeria 1980 2 1 0 1 3 3
Libya 1982 Group stage 5th 3 0 3 0 1 1 4 2 1 1 12 5
Ivory Coast 1984 Champions 1st 5 3 1 1 9 3 4 2 0 2 9 5
Egypt 1986 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 8 5 Qualified as defending champions
Morocco 1988 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 4 1 4 2 0 2 8 5
Algeria 1990 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 3 Qualified as defending champions
Senegal 1992 Fourth place 4th 5 2 2 1 4 3 6 3 3 0 5 1
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 6 3 3 0 7 0
South Africa 1996 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 5 7 6 3 1 2 7 7
Burkina Faso 1998 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 1 1 5 4 6 2 4 0 8 3
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Champions 1st 6 3 2 1 11 5 Qualified as defending champions
Mali 2002 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 9 0 Qualified as defending champions
Tunisia 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 7 6 Qualified as defending champions
Egypt 2006 5th 4 3 1 0 8 2 10 6 3 1 13 4
Ghana 2008 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 14 8 6 5 0 1 13 4
Angola 2010 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 6 8 10 9 2 2 24 4
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Did not qualify 6 3 2 1 12 5
South Africa 2013 4 2 0 2 3 4
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 2 3 6 4 2 0 9 1
Gabon 2017 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 7 3 6 4 2 0 7 2
Egypt 2019 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 4 3 6 3 2 1 6 3
Cameroon 2021 Third place 3rd 7 4 3 0 14 7 6 3 2 1 8 4
Ivory Coast 2023 Round of 16 14th 4 1 1 2 5 8 4 2 1 1 6 3
Morocco 2025 Qualified 4 3 1 0 6 1
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 TBD TBD
Total 5 Titles 21/34 95 46 31 18 142 90 116 66 30 22 178 87
*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Honours and Awards

Major Competitions

Worldwide

Intercontinental

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

Continental

Regional Titles

  • UDEAC Cup
    • 1 Champions (4): 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 1990
    • 3 Third place (1): 1985
  • CEMAC Cup
    • 1 Champions (3): 2003, 2005, 2008
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 2006, 2010
    • 3 Third place (1): 2014
  • Central African Games
    • 1 Gold medal (2): 1976, 1987

Friendly Competitions

  • Nehru Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2012
  • LG Cup
    • Champions (1): 2011

Summary of Wins

Senior Competition 1 2 3 Total
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 1 0 1
CAF African Cup of Nations 5 2 2 9
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 1 0 0 1
Total 6 3 2 11

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Camerún para niños

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