Cameroon are through to the last eight of AFCON 2025 after a 2-1 win over South Africa in Rabat. Two firm headers — one in each half — gave the Indomitable Lions the cushion they needed, and a late push from Bafana Bafana came too late to change the story.

This was knockout football in its simplest form: win your battles, take your set pieces, and survive the final wave. Cameroon did all three well enough to book a quarterfinal date with hosts Morocco.

Headers decide a tight AFCON Round of 16 tie

The stage was the Al-Barid Stadium, also referred to locally as Al Medina Stadium, in Rabat. The stakes were clear — win and move on, lose and go home. Cameroon settled first. From a first-half set piece, Junior Tchamadeu rose above his marker and thumped a header home in the 34th minute to break the deadlock.

South Africa tried to slow the game and build from wide areas. But Cameroon were compact and alert. Every loose ball in their box was met with strong clearances and smart defending. Cameroon’s plan was not fancy; it was effective.

“Two bullet headers, one ticket to the quarters. Classic Cameroon.”

Cameroon strike again right after the break

Soon after half-time, Cameroon doubled the lead with a second header, this time from Christian Kofane. It looked a lot like the first: good delivery, strong run, and a clean finish. In knockout football, set pieces are gold, and Cameroon mined two of them.

At 2-0, the Lions could sit a bit deeper and pick their moments. They closed the middle, funneled South Africa wide, and stayed patient. Bafana Bafana pushed the pace and carried more of the ball, but for a long stretch they did not find the final pass.

“South Africa waited too long to go direct; when they did, it was too late.”

Late Bafana surge, Makgopa strikes on 88′

The closing minutes flipped the mood. South Africa threw men forward, and the game got messy. The pressure finally told on 88 minutes when Evidence Makgopa found the net to make it 2-1. The goal put a spark into the stands and set up a frantic finish.

Still, Cameroon kept their shape and saw the final minutes out. A line from the broadcast summed up South Africa’s frustration: “When you dominate a game and you’re missing chances… that is how they can punish you.” Cameroon punished in the first half, and again early after the break; those were the key moments.

Why Cameroon won: control, set-piece edge, and composure

Cameroon’s edge came from three simple areas:

• Set-piece strength: Two headers, two goals. Delivery and timing were spot on.
• Compact shape: They kept the middle crowded, forcing South Africa to cross from wide angles.
• Composure under pressure: Even after Makgopa’s goal, Cameroon did not panic.

Junior Tchamadeu’s opener changed the tone of the game; it allowed Cameroon to defend with confidence. Christian Kofane’s second gave them the cushion to absorb long spells without the ball. For Bafana Bafana, Makgopa’s late strike showed fight and quality, but the clock was not on their side.

“Morocco next in Rabat. If Cameroon own the air again, they have a real shot.”

South Africa’s run: progress and pain

South Africa reached the knockouts as one of the best third-place teams. Two points were enough to keep their tournament alive, and they carried that resilience into this game. The plan to work the ball wide and stretch Cameroon made sense, but without a clean final ball early, the clock became the enemy.

Makgopa’s goal was a bright moment and showed that a more direct approach could trouble Cameroon. The lesson for Bafana Bafana is clear: in knockout games, the first punch matters. Cameroon landed it.

History and context: a break from tight draws

These sides have a habit of playing close games. In the 2016 AFCON qualifiers, they drew 0-0 and 2-2. This time, a winner had to emerge, and Cameroon made sure of it with two set-piece blows. The margin was fine, and the late drama fit the recent history between the teams.

What comes next: hosts Morocco await

Cameroon’s reward is a quarterfinal against Morocco in Rabat. The hosts moved on with a 1-0 win over Tanzania, thanks to a goal from Brahim Diaz. That sets up a classic: the hosts’ slick build-up play versus Cameroon’s power and set-piece edge.

For Cameroon, the checklist is simple: keep the back line calm, avoid cheap fouls near their box, and keep the set-piece delivery as sharp as it was here. In a tight game against Morocco, one dead-ball chance could again be the difference.

For South Africa, there is pride in how they fought to the end. The next step is turning long spells of pressure into better shots and earlier goals. If they keep their core and add a little more edge in the final third, they will be back in the mix.

The bottom line

Cameroon handled the key moments better. Tchamadeu and Kofane took their chances, and the side stayed calm when the storm hit late. South Africa’s late goal made the finish tense, but the tie was shaped by those two headers and Cameroon’s control of the box.

AFCON knockouts are rarely pretty. This one was about grit, timing, and trust in basics. Cameroon had just enough of all three, and now they face the biggest stage yet: the hosts, the noise, and a place in the semifinals on the line.