Cameroon can secure a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with victory over Namibia in Gaborone on Monday (14:00), after winning the first match of their Group G double-header 2-0 in Douala.
The Indomitable Lions lead the group by three points and would officially confirm their qualification for the finals with another success. A win would give Cameroon a 23rd Africa Cup of Nations appearance, and a seventh in succession.
David Pagou’s side began their qualifying campaign strongly after building momentum during the FIFA Series in March. They have collected seven points from their opening three matches, beating Comoros 3-1, drawing 1-1 in Congo and then overcoming Namibia through first-half goals from Saidou Alioum Moubarak and Bil Nsongo.
Cameroon have scored at least twice in three of their past five matches and kept three clean sheets during that run. One of those shutouts came in a 1-0 friendly victory over Cote d’Ivoire in early October.
Ranked 42nd in the FIFA rankings, Cameroon have also proved difficult to beat away from home. They have lost only once in their past eight away matches, recording five victories in that sequence.
Namibia’s hopes of reaching a fifth Africa Cup of Nations finals, and a second in the past three editions, have suffered a significant setback. The defeat by Cameroon leaves the Brave Warriors one point behind second-placed Comoros, who drew with Congo.
Collin Benjamin’s team have now lost three consecutive matches in all competitions and have failed to score since their opening 1-0 qualifying victory against Congo. Their defensive problems have also intensified, with nine goals conceded across their past three games. Those results include a 1-0 defeat by Comoros and a 6-0 friendly loss in Russia.
Namibia’s main source of encouragement is their home record in official matches. They have lost only one of their past five such games as the host team, winning two of their last three. They also drew 0-0 with Cameroon in their most recent home meeting, although the overall record between the sides is four defeats in seven matches. The game will be played at Botswana National Stadium.
Namibia’s qualifying form is V-D-D, while their overall recent record is L-W-W-L-L-L. Cameroon’s corresponding records are W-D-W and L-W-W-D-W-W.
Namibia remain without midfielder Peter Shitembi, who left the squad with an injury before the first match. No further injuries or suspensions have been reported. Deon Hotto, Riaan Hanamub and captain Peter Shalulile are expected to return to the starting line-up.
Cameroon will again be without Carlos Baleba and Christian Kofane, who missed the first leg after suffering club-related injuries. Defender Mahamadou Nagida is available after serving his suspension, while Bryan Mbeumo is expected to retain his place on the right after providing the assist for Nsongo’s goal in Douala.
The match is expected to be closely contested, but Cameroon’s defensive strength and greater attacking efficiency make them favourites. The suggested outcomes are a Cameroon win at 1.45, fewer than 2.5 goals at 1.55 and a 0-1 victory at 4.50.
