By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have reunited in Yaoundé as David Pagou begins preparations for the country’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Lions will open their Group G campaign against Comoros on September 24 before facing Congo four days later, with the two matches forming the first two steps on the road to the tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Cameroon’s opening qualifier against Comoros will be played at the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua, where the Lions are expected to arrive ahead of Thursday’s encounter. The second assignment will take them to Brazzaville, where they will face the Republic of Congo at the Alphonse-Massamba-Débat Stadium on September 29. The group also includes Namibia, giving Cameroon a four-team battle for qualification.
The first players have already checked into the team’s base at the Hilton Hotel in Yaoundé, with the camp expected to become increasingly busy as the remaining members arrive. The programme includes a morning stretching session led by fitness coach Bryan Meyeke, followed by the team’s first training session at the Military Stadium, with the opening 30 minutes accessible to supporters and accredited media.
Pagou’s squad combines young players looking to establish themselves with a number of talents already making their mark abroad. For the new coach, these opening matches will provide an early opportunity to shape his team and establish the foundations of his tenure, with Cameroon also scheduled to face Côte d’Ivoire in a friendly on October 3.
The Indomitable Lions enter the campaign with a proud AFCON tradition behind them. Cameroon have lifted the continental trophy five times — in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002 and 2017. Their last triumph came in Gabon in 2017, when Vincent Aboubakar’s late goal secured a 2-1 victory over Egypt in the final. That remains Cameroon’s most recent AFCON crown, although the Lions finished third at the 2021 edition staged on home soil in 2022.
Now a new generation has the opportunity to write its own chapter in Cameroon’s football history. The immediate focus is on Comoros in Garoua, followed by the difficult trip to Brazzaville to meet Congo. For a country with five continental titles, the ambition is clear: start the qualifying campaign strongly, secure a place at AFCON 2027 and eventually bring the trophy back to Cameroon.
French 
English