[penci_liveblog] AFCON 2023: Group C | Cameroon Vs Guinea Facts and Figure
This will be the third encounter between Cameroon and Guinea at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, all taking place in the group stages. The two previous meetings ended in draws: 2-2 in 1998 and 1-1 in 2015.
Cameroon are making their 21st appearance in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, a tally only bettered by Egypt (26), Côte d’Ivoire (25) and Ghana (24). Egypt (7) are the only team to have won the tournament on more occasions than The Indomitable Lions (5).
Cameroon won the only previous AFCON to be held in Côte d’Ivoire, it was in 1984. They beat Nigeria 3-1 in the final. Penalty shoot-outs excluded, Cameroon have lost only one of their last 17 matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (W8 D8), a 3-2 defeat against Nigeria in the round of 16 of the 2019 edition.
Guinea are taking part in their 14th CAF Africa Cup of Nations. It’s the most appearances for a team at the tournament without ever winning it – the closest they came was in 1976 when Guinea finished second to Morocco in what was then a final group stage.
Guinea have reached the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations in six of their last seven participations but have never actually progressed in the knockout phase of the competition during that time, either in normal/extra-time or on penalties.
Guinea have won only two of their last 13 matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (D6 L5), a 2-0 win against Burundi in 2019 and 1-0 against Malawi in 2022.
Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi scored 13 of Cameroon’s 14 goals at the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, eight and five respectively. Aboubakar’s total was the highest in an edition of the tournament since 1974.
Cameroon’s Rigobert Song is making his first CAF Africa Cup of Nations appearance as head coach. As a player, he featured in a joint-record eight AFCON tournaments and won it on two occasions (2000, 2002).
Guinea’s nine goals scored in the qualifiers of this African Cup of Nations were scored by eight different players, with Naby Keïta the only player to find the net twice.