By Neilley Claude EBESSA,
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
Cameroon secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over South Africa in their AFCON 2025 Round of 16 match, booking a quarter-final meeting against host nation Morocco. Coach David Pagou praised the collective effort and positive mindset that fueled the win.
We are obviously delighted with the result. We had a rather challenging mission, which we carried out successfully. We strive to improve and work together to move the team forward. We maintain a positive mindset, and that plays a key role in our collective performance,” Pagou said after the match.
The victory highlights the Lions’ team-first approach, where every player is crucial, and teamwork outweighs individual brilliance. Pagou singled out Karl Etta Eyong, whose decisive contribution proved vital:
Karl Etta Eyong is the one who gives us the victory against Gabon, so all players are important for us. Every match has its own strategy. He knows he has my full trust.”
Pagou emphasized that team unity is Cameroon’s real strength:
We are on the right path. We are successfully achieving a gamble. We will continue in this way. Since we took over the team, it has always been about the collective. The star for us is the team.”
Even luck played a role in the victory, according to the coach:
There is what we coaches call baraka (luck). To score a goal, the opponent has to make mistakes. Maybe that’s what we call chance. We can say we had more luck than South Africa.”
The win sets up an exciting quarter-final against Morocco, a team unbeaten at home in official competitions since 2009 and a former AFCON nemesis of Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions will now focus on team cohesion, resilience, and tactical discipline as they aim to continue their strong run in the tournament.
Cameroon’s performance against South Africa underlines Pagou’s philosophy that the collective strength of the team, not individual heroics, is the key to success — a formula that could be decisive against the hosts in the next round.
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