Reigning champs Ivory Coast eye early knockout stage spot against Cameroon

VIDEO SHOWS: PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS AHEAD OF THE AFCON GROUP STAGE MATCH BETWEEN IVORY COAST & CAMEROON / IVORY COAST TRAINING SHOWS: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO (DECEMBER 27, 2025) (STATS PERFORM – Access all) 1. IVORY COAST PLAYERS PASSING BALLS TO EACH OTHER IN THE AIR AHEAD OF TRAINING  2. (SOUNDBITE) (French) IVORY COAST COACH, EMERSE FAE, SAYING: “It's going well, we know that tomorrow's match is an important match for us, the team. If we win tomorrow, we are automatically qualified for the round of 16, but we also know that it is a very important match for the Ivorian people. A match against Cameroon is never an easy one, but it is a match that we must win for the country. So, it will be an important match for these two reasons tomorrow.” 3. IVORY COAST PLAYERS GATHERED 4. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS JOGGING 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) IVORY COAST RIGHT-BACK, GUELA DOUE, SAYING: “It's going to be a very important match, important to qualify, as the coach said. We are preparing well for the match with a lot of seriousness. So, there you go, we're going to try to play a big game to go get a result on Sunday.” 6. VARIOUS OF IVORY COAST PLAYERS WARMING UP  7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) IVORY COAST COACH, EMERSE FAE, SAYING: “For me, Cameroon has always played with a lot of energy, with strength, and like I said, I think it will be a very physical (game). I know, I see the way they played against Gabon, and I think we are going to find a strategy to win tomorrow.” 8. FAE (LEFT) STANDING WITH MEMBER OF COACHING TEAM WATCHING ON WHILE PLAYERS GO THROUGH WARMING UP DRILLS 9. (SOUNDBITE) (French) CAMEROON COACH, DAVID PAGOU, SAYING: “Today there's a different state of mind, there's a new team that's been put together and the guys are getting along well together. So, we're going to play to our strengths to thwart Ivory Coast's plans. But as I repeat and insist, coach Emerse Fae is doing a pleasant, wonderful job and I pay tribute to him here, because he makes African coaches proud. So, there you go, it's a matter of us being present, playing this match with our strengths and as I like to say to my guys, disturbing them. There is maturity in Ivory Coast, there is maturity in the Ivory Coast team. We are practically among the youngest teams. 24 is the average age, and within the group there is at least, what? 56% who have never done an AFCON (African Cup of Nations), it's their first participation. So, imagine the enthusiasm, the desire and there you go. Will it be a strength, will it be a weakness? The course of the match will tell us.” 10. VARIOUS OF IVORY COAST PLAYERS WARMING UP  11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAMEROON FORWARD, BRYAN MBUEMO, ON HIS MANCHESTER UNITED TEAMMATE & OPPONENT TOMORROW AMAD DIALLO, SAYING: “Everyone knows how good is Amad. He is very sharp, and in 1v1 (situations), he can be very dangerous. So, obviously, I’m going to talk to my teammates to give them some advice, and yeah, I think if everyone is focused and yeah, makes the effort for everyone, we’re going to try to stop him.” 12. IVORY COAST PLAYERS WARMING UP  13. (SOUNDBITE) (French) CAMEROON COACH, DAVID PAGOU, SAYING: “We wanted to play the match against Gabon to win it. We won the match, and afterwards, between us, we did our own self-criticism. Every match has its own reality, and for the match against Ivory Coast, we hope we will have the opportunity to correct what didn't work. Each match has its own reality, and we are going to approach it the way we prepared for it. The match against Gabon is over, we have taken what we needed to take from it, and we are going to try to improve on what didn't work.” 14. VARIOUS OF GOALKEEPERS GOING THROUGH PASSING DRILLS STORY: Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae said on Saturday (December 27) that he expects a physical game against a young Cameroon side in the top fixture of Group F in the African Cup of Nations. Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the match, Fae said games against Cameroon were never easy, despite a chaotic build up to the tournament for the Indomitable Lions. Cameroon legend Samuel Eto'o, now the president of the Cameroon football federation, controversially sacked the national team coach who refused to leave his post according to reports, while Eto'o was also accused of influencing the decision of the new coach David Pagou to leave out many of Cameroon's established veterans ahead of the tournament. Pagou said he believes his squad’s youthful energy could be enough of a factor to compensate for a lack of tournament experience. A win for either team secures their place in the round of 16.  (Production: Mussab Al-Khairalla, Stefan Haskins)

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