AFCON HOST NATION CAMEROON NAMES FINAL SQUAD FOR THE TOURNAMENT

Five-time African Champions Cameroon have named a 28-man final squad for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations due in three weeks on home soil.

Indomitable Lions head coach António Conceiçao made public the squad on Wednesday 22 December 2021.

The Portuguese has retained 28 players from the 40 pre-selected earlier this month. The sqaud includes four goalkeepers, two of them based in Africa, AS Vita Club’s Simon Omossola and Efala Komguep Jean of Nigeria’s Akwa United. The duo complete Ajax Amsterdam’s Andre Onana and Devis Epassy Mbota who plays for Greek side OFI Crete.

Defender Michael Ngadeu, who scored two goals during the 2017 AFCON triumph in Gabon, leads the ten defenders drafted. TotalEnergies AFCON 2021 will be the first for Ligue 1 trio Jean-Charles Castelleto (FC Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (SCO Angers) and Harold Moukoudi (Saint Etienne). Same for Jerome Onguene, Mbaizo Olivier and Nouhou Tolo. Enzo Ebosse is off to a first call-up, presumably sitting in for regular fullback Jean-Claude Billong who has been ruled out for an ankle injury.

Conceiçao’s midfield compartment features both Franck-Zambo Anguissa (SSC Napoli) and Kunde Malong (Olympiacos). The duo bagged man-of-the-match awards three times during the previous edition in Egypt. They are joined by five other AFCON freshmen.

Captain Vincent Aboubakar – scorer of the winner at the 2017 final in Gabon – is among eight forwards, including the 28-year-old Dinamo Moscow returnee winger Njie Clinton who will be making a third consecutive AFCON appearance. 2017 AFCON’s Most Valuable Player Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua FC) also made the squad.

In total, seventeen players could make their AFCON debut when the competition rumbles off in their backyard. Eleven others have featured in at least one of the previous editions.

Team Cameroon is headed for a 20th AFCON participation and will be bidding for a sixth title. The hosts will face Burkina Faso in the opening match on 9 January 2022, at the Olembe stadium in the political capital Yaounde.

The second group game pits them against 1962 champions Ethiopia. Cameroon rounds off its group campaign on January 17 with third-timers Cape Verde.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Simon Medjo Omossola (AS Vita Club, DR Congo), Devis Epassy Mbota (OFI Crete, Greece), Andre Onana Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Jean Efala Komguep (Akwa United FC, Nigeria).

Defenders: Collins Fai Ngoran (Standard Liege, Belgium), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union, USA), Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (Gent, Belgium), Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes, France), Harold Moukoudi (Saint Etienne, France), Enzo Ebosse (SCO Angers, France), Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo (Montpellier, France), Jerome Onguene (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders, USA).

Midfielders: Jean Onana Junior (Bordeaux, France), Malong Kunde (Olympiakos, Greece), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli, Italy), Samuel Gouet Oum (Mechelen, Belgium), Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona, Italy), Andrew James Lea Siliki (Middlesbrough, England), Yvan Neyou (Saint Etienne, France).

Forwards: Ignatius Ganago (RC Lens, France), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenua, China), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich, Germany), Stephane Bahoken (SCO Angers, France), Karl Toko-Ekambi (Olympique Lyon, France), Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland), Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nasr, Saudi Arabia), Clinton Njie (Dinamo Moscow, Russia).