The host country is looking to win its sixth African Cup of Nations title
Cameroon welcomes their counterparts, Burkina Faso, to the Stade Olembe, for the opening match of the 33rd African Cup of Nations, AFCON this weekend.
The Indomitable Lions are one of the favorites for the title after winning the competition five times in their history.
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For the Stallions, after missing out on the last edition in Egypt 2019, they are back and will go into the tournament in search of their first-ever win, with the second place in the 2013 edition their best-ever finish in the competition.
However, going into the game on Sunday, both sides will be looking to get off to a good start with a win.
Cameroon will have the advantage of home support while for the Stallions, they will be in a very buoyant mood after an impressive unbeaten run in 2021, which also saw them push defending champions, Algeria, all the way in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers before narrowly missing out.
Form and Head-to-Head
Both countries go into this one in superb form, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions have won four of their last five matches, with four wins in each of their last four, while the Stallions are unbeaten in their last five matches, albeit they have won just two, with three draws.
In terms of their head-to-head, the two nations are meeting for the 10th time in all competitions and the third time in the African Cup of Nations, AFCON -proper. The Lions have the upper hand with a total of one win, with both sides sharing the spoils in the other match.
Date, Kick-off time, and Venue
The opening game between Cameroon and Burkina Faso is billed for this Sunday, January 9, 2022, at the Stade Olembe, in Yaounde. The kick-off time for the match is 5 pm, Nigerian Time.
Teams News and Possible Line Ups
In terms of the team news, both teams have a relatively healthy squad to pick from for Sunday. However, the home side has some Eric Maxim Choup-Moting and Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui carrying knocks, while youngster, Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba is the only injury casualty for the Stallions at the moment.
Cameroon Possible XI: Andre Onana; Collins Fai, Harold Moukoudi, Michael Ngadeu, Nouhou Tolo; Samuel Oum Gouet, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Martin Hongla; Karl Toko-Ekambi, Vincent Aboubakar, Moumi Ngamaleu.
Burkina Faso Possible XI: Herve Koffi; Issa Kabore, Issoufou Dayo, Edmond Tapsoba, Steeve Yago; Cyrille Bayala, Adama Guira, Gustavo Sangare, Zakaria Sanogo; Djibril Ouattara, Abdoul Tapsoba.
Coach’s Corner
Cameroon’s António “Toni” Conceiçao: “I believe we have to think positively. We need to work hard and be up to our responsibility to bring back the good days of Cameroonian football.”
Burkina Faso’s Kamou Malo: “Our team is one of the dark horses. We have a young but very talented squad. An ambitious group of players with great solidarity and unity. Taking these values into consideration, we can cause surprises.”
Predictions
The last time these two countries met, there was nothing to separate them as the spoils were shared after a goalless affair. Three of their last competitive games, both at the AFCON and CHAN, have ended in draws. So, I will go for a draw here.
