South Africa and Cameroon will renew a storied rivalry on Sunday when they clash in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat.

The match will be only the second AFCON meeting between the two sides and their first in nearly three decades, following South Africa’s famous 3–0 victory over Cameroon at the 1996 tournament. That win propelled Bafana Bafana to their maiden continental title, with Phil Masinga, Mark Williams and John Moshoeu scoring in a performance that remains etched in AFCON history.

In nine previous encounters, South Africa have recorded three wins to Cameroon’s one, with five matches ending in draws. Bafana Bafana are also unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Indomitable Lions since 1992.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos, who previously led Cameroon, said the past would count for little in Sunday’s knockout contest. “Cameroon is a team I know very well, but this is a new story,” Broos said. “Knockout football is about discipline, courage and belief.”

Broos coached Cameroon during the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, when both matches against South Africa ended in draws. Cameroon went on to qualify for the finals, while South Africa narrowly missed out. Broos later guided Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title in Gabon.

South Africa head into the tie with confidence after winning two group-stage matches for the first time since AFCON 2000, defeating Angola and Zimbabwe. Despite conceding in all three group games, Broos said the team showed strong mentality. “All our Round of 16 goals came in the second half,” he noted. “That shows patience and a strong mindset.”

This is South Africa’s third appearance in the Round of 16, and they have won both previous ties at this stage without conceding a goal. A victory would take them to the quarter-finals for the seventh time.

Forwards Lyle Foster and Oswin Appollis have scored twice each at the tournament, and either could become the first South African since Shaun Bartlett in 2000 to score three goals at an AFCON finals.

Cameroon qualified for the knockout stage after victories over Gabon and Mozambique, and a draw with hosts Côte d’Ivoire. Their comeback win against Mozambique underlined the team’s resilience, according to coach David Pagou. “This team has character and resilience,” Pagou said. “We showed it by fighting back when it mattered most.”

Although Cameroon scored just four goals in the group stage — their lowest tally since 2019 — they conceded only twice. Pagou stressed a pragmatic approach, saying, “At this stage, efficiency is more important than beauty.”

The Indomitable Lions are appearing in the AFCON knockout rounds for the 17th time and are chasing an 11th quarter-final berth. However, they have been eliminated in the Round of 16 in two of their last three appearances and have never kept a clean sheet at this stage.

Cameroon forward Christian Kofane, who scored the decisive goal against Mozambique, said the team was confident going into the match. “South Africa are organised, but we believe in our strength and our history,” he said. “This is AFCON — anything can happen.”

With history, form and tactics converging, the Rabat showdown promises to deliver another compelling chapter in AFCON rivalry.