Futsal AFCON Qualifiers: Cameroon Suffer Heavy Defeat to Angola

By Eyong Macdella 

Journalist,kick442.com-Cameroon

Cameroon’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 Africa Futsal Cup of Nations suffered a major blow on Tuesday, February 3, after the Indomitable Futsal Lions were handed a humiliating 12–0 defeat by Angola in the first leg of the final qualifying round.

The encounter, played at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaoundé, was dominated from start to finish by the visitors. Angola imposed a high tempo and total control of possession, leaving the Cameroonian side unable to settle or mount any meaningful resistance.

Taking full advantage of repeated defensive lapses, the Angolans carved open Cameroon’s back line with ease, underlining their superior experience and pedigree in futsal. By the end of the contest, the gulf in quality between the two sides was glaring.

Coach Louis René Épée’s men delivered a disappointing and largely ineffective performance. Cameroon struggled technically and tactically, offering little in attack and showing limited capacity to cope with Angola’s movement, pressing, and finishing. The result highlighted a stark contrast in futsal development between the two nations.

The heavy home defeat has severely dented Cameroon’s qualification prospects. To keep their AFCON dream alive, the Indomitable Lions would need to overturn the deficit in the return leg in Luanda—an outcome that appears almost impossible given the scale of the first-leg loss.

Cameroon has participated in the African Futsal Championship only once, in 2008, where they exited at the group stage. Since then, the country has failed to qualify for the tournament and, remarkably, has never won a futsal match at AFCON level, underscoring how underdeveloped the discipline remains locally.

Tuesday’s loss is the heaviest defeat in Cameroon’s futsal history. In three meetings with Angola, the Lions have now conceded 24 goals and scored just four, further confirming Angola’s dominance in this rivalry.

The return leg is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, in Luanda, where Cameroon will aim to restore some pride with an improved display, even as qualification looks increasingly unlikely.

The qualifiers will determine the seven teams that will join hosts Morocco, who are automatically qualified, at the 2026 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations finals.