Cameroon’s Intermediate Lions will be hoping they can take advantage of a favorable group to reach the knockout stage of the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria but the mood is not optimistic among Cameroonian supporters and media. The domestic-based national side have participated in four previous editions of the competition with their best finish being fourth place at the 2020 tournament that the nation hosted. Drawn in Group E with Niger and neighbors Republic of Congo, the minimum expectation is for Cameroon to finish top of the group and hit the ground running in their January 16 opener against Congo.
However, preparations for Alioum Saidou’s squad have not been satisfactory to observers so far and the team will be without the services of forward Souaibou Marou while the Coton Sport star sorts out a move to a club abroad. Cameroon struggled to defeat local club Canon Yaoundé in their first preparation match before being held to a 1-1 draw by another Cameroonian club, Eding Sport. Two more 1-1 draws came against Uganda and Ivory Coast before the Intermediate Lions ended their preparations on a positive note with a 2-0 shutout of Sudan. Cameroon finished their preparations undefeated but their demanding supporters feel the team has much to prove.
Marou was one of two domestic-based players in the Cameroonian squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with the other being wide player Jerome Mbom Mbekeli, who made an impression in limited time with his cross setting up Vincent Aboubakar’s match-winning goal in a 1-0 shock of Brazil. With fourteen assists last season in Cameroon’s top division Elite One and experience playing abroad in the United States the Colombe Sportive player is expected to be important to his nation’s prospects. CAF Online identifies defender Che Malone of Cameroonian champion club Coton Sport as another player to watch after making his debut with the senior national team against Jamaica in 2022.
The full list of players are below with more on Cameroon’s preparations in the links further below.
Cameroon Squad
Goalkeepers
Leonel Kybien (Bamboutos de Mbouda)
Marcelin Mbahbi (Gazelle de Garoua)
Jourdain Mbaynassem (Canon de Yaoundé)
Defenders
Jerome Ngom Mbekeli (Colombe Sportive)
Youssoufa Houzaïfi (Coton Sport)
Ibrahim Abba (Coton Sport)
Che Malone (Coton Sport)
Thomas Bawak Etta (PWD de Bamenda)
Donatien Tchami (Bamboutos de Mbouda)
Ibrahim Saidou (Fauve Azur de Yaoundé)
Yves Alain Dooh Moukoko (Canon de Yaoundé)
Midfielders
Martial Zemba (Apejes de Mfou)
Louis Mbah (Eding Sport)
Prince Junior Sime (Eding Sport)
Djawal Kaïba (Coton Sport)
Valentin Beo Batto (Colombe Sportive)
Arthur Avom (Fauve Azur de Yaoundé)
Joseph Iyendjock (Union de Douala)
Joël Patten (Union de Douala)
Forwards
Harrison Djonkep (Eding Sport)
Ramsès Donfack (Coton Sport)
Guy Eyike (Union de Douala)
Emmanuel Beken (Fovu de Baham)
Junior Kemajou (Bamboutos de Mbouda)
Roche Foning (Union de Douala)
