By Kate Gaduna
Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon’s U20 Lions have been crowned champions of the 2026 UNIFFAC U20 tournament after edging the Central African Republic 1-0 in a tense final in Yaoundé on Saturday, October 24.
The decisive moment came in the 19th minute when Jean Popess Manguelé produced a moment of individual brilliance, curling a superb direct free-kick beyond the reach of the Central African goalkeeper to put the hosts in front. The midfielder’s strike ultimately proved enough to settle a tightly contested final.
The Central African Republic pushed for a response and thought they had restored parity before the break, but their effort was ruled out. Cameroon then had to withstand sustained pressure after the restart, with Yvan Kenmoe’s side showing the defensive discipline and resilience required to protect their narrow advantage until the final whistle.
The victory completed a perfect campaign for the Junior Lions, who won all four of their matches in the competition. Cameroon began with a 3-0 victory over Chad, defeated CAR 2-0 in the group stage, thrashed Gabon 4-1 in the semi-final before completing their campaign with the 1-0 final victory. They scored 10 goals and conceded just one.
The title also marks Cameroon’s return to the continental U20 stage. The Junior Lions had missed the 2023 and 2025 editions of the U20 AFCON, but their run in Yaoundé has secured qualification for the 2027 tournament in Ghana. CAR will also join them at the continental finals after beating Congo 2-0 in their semi-final.
For Cameroon, the UNIFFAC triumph is therefore more than another regional trophy. It is a statement from a new generation of Junior Lions who have gone through the tournament unbeaten, combined attacking quality with defensive resilience and restored the country’s place among Africa’s leading U20 nations.
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