“Cameroon-Ivory Coast match is always a war” – Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae

Flashback to the quarter-finals of the 2006 AFCON, where the two giants faced at the Cairo Military Academy stadium.

Ivory Coast was led by then-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, while Cameroon was also led by Samuel Eto’o of Barcelona. The two renewed the “who is the best striker in Africa” argument.

The game ended goalless in 90 minutes, and the then OGC Nice striker Bakari Kone gave Ivory Coast the lead with two minutes into the extra time. Belenenses Meyong Ze equalised for the Indomitable Lions three minutes later. The game ended 1-1 after extra time.

Penalty shootout was needed to separate the two.

In the Marathon shootout, Ivory Coast scored all the 12 they took, and Cameroon scored 11, with Eto’o, the only person missing, helping The Elephants to qualify for the semi-finals.

This is a true definition of a classic AFCON match. The game was full of stars; it was competitive, so suspenseful and filled with tension.

AFCON 2023 winning coach Emerse Faè of Ivory Coast, in an interview after the draw, predicted a war between Cameroon and Ivory Coast. The two heavyweights who have won a combined 8 titles will battle in Group F alongside Gabon and Mozambique but all the attention will be on the game.

“Every time there is a Cameroon-Ivory Coast match, it is always a war, but a fraternal war, a war of egos,” Faes said.

Meetings between these two countries always have top-notch stars, as it is one of the hallmarks of each side to produce a great player every time. Egos always clash when Ivory Coast meets Cameroon in any competition.

“The two nations will want to show in this match that they are the best teams in Africa,” Emerse Fae added.

Currently, Ivory Coast is the champion of the continent and would want to defend their title in Morocco, whilst Cameroon has not won the competition since 2017 and would love to win their sixth one in 2025 to get closer to Egypt, which has won the most (7).

AFCON 2025 promises to be a fascinating tournament, but Ivory Coast and Cameroon’s group stage fixture will be more fascinating.