2) Cameroon
The recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations saw an unfancied Cameroon go all the way and beat Egypt in the final to lift their fifth AFCON title. Nobody had expected them to win, especially after a number of stars – some playing in Europe’s top clubs – had pulled out and made themselves unavailable for selection.
Their coach Hugo Broos had been appointed after he had applied for the post when he saw an advertisement online. His plans to use young players mixed with new talents worked and Vincent Aboubakar’s 88th-minute goal in the final made the Lions indomitable again.
Now, though, in the third and final round of the CAF qualifiers, they haven’t had the best of starts. Following two draws with Algeria and Zambia, they find themselves four points behind a remarkably strong Nigeria squad who have already beaten those two sides.
However, only the top team in each group qualifies for the World Cup. But then again, there is still a long way to go.
| Pos | Country | Pld | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Zambia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Algeria | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
