By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon’s U15 national team finished their 2026 FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival campaign in 23rd position in Division A after defeating Australia 2-0 in their final classification match on Friday, October 30, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Goals from Miguel Narcisse Mossou and Mohamed Moctar secured victory for the Young Lions, allowing Franck Cédric Onana Owono’s side to conclude the competition on a positive note after a challenging run in the latter stages.
The Cameroonians made an impressive start to the tournament, opening their Group K campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Senegal. Farell Romain Ngobo, Andy Daniel Massoda and Randy Ngome were on target as Cameroon announced their intentions.
However, they suffered their first setback against India, losing 2-1 before responding emphatically with a 6-1 victory over Laos. They subsequently defeated Grenada 4-1 before wrapping up the group stage with a 2-0 win against Bahrain.
Cameroon finished top of Group K with 12 points from five matches, recording four victories and one defeat. They scored 16 goals and conceded four, finishing ahead of Senegal following their 3-0 head-to-head victory.
That group-stage performance earned Cameroon a place in Division A, the tournament’s top classification reserved for group winners and where the overall world title was contested.
Unfortunately, their title ambitions suffered a major blow in the round of 32, where they lost 4-1 to Morocco on October 28. Mohamed Moctar scored Cameroon’s consolation goal as the North Africans ended their hopes of progressing towards the title.
Relegated to the classification matches for positions 17 to 32, the Young Lions responded with a 2-1 victory over Cyprus, with Miguel Narcisse Mossou scoring twice. However, their momentum was halted by Russia, who handed Cameroon a heavy 9-2 defeat. Farell Ngobo and Randy Ngome scored the two Cameroonian goals.
Cameroon subsequently faced the Republic of Ireland in another classification encounter. Despite taking a 4-2 lead, the Young Lions were pegged back to 4-4 before losing 6-5 in the penalty shootout.
That defeat sent them into the contest for 23rd position against Australia, which they eventually won 2-0 through goals from Miguel Mossou and Mohamed Moctar.
Overall, Cameroon recorded six victories and three defeats in their ten matches, with one drawn encounter decided by a penalty shootout. Their campaign featured impressive attacking displays, particularly in the group stage, but also exposed defensive weaknesses against stronger opposition.
While finishing 23rd may fall short of the ambitions generated by their outstanding group-stage performance, the experience of competing against different footballing nations provides valuable lessons for the young players and their development.
For Cameroon, the tournament ends with a victory, but also raises important questions about consistency, defensive organisation and the preparation required to compete against the world’s best at youth level.
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