Winners of two of the last three Africa Cup of Nations titles, Ivory Coast and Cameroon will reignite one of the tournament’s most enduring rivalries when they meet in their second Group F match at the 2025 finals on 28 December. The contest will take place at the Grand Stade d’Agadir by 9pm.
The fixture brings together two continental heavyweights with a shared history stretching back 55 years. At AFCON finals, the sides have met eight times previously, with Cameroon holding the upper hand, winning five matches. Two of the remaining encounters ended in draws before Côte d’Ivoire progressed on penalties, underlining the fine margins that have often defined this matchup.
Their most recent AFCON meeting came at the 2015 tournament, when Côte d’Ivoire claimed a pivotal 1–0 group-stage victory. Max Gradel’s 35th-minute strike proved decisive, eliminating Cameroon and paving the way for the Elephants to lift their second AFCON title. It was only Côte d’Ivoire’s sole win over Cameroon in open play at the finals.
Historically, this fixture has often shaped the destiny of both teams at AFCON. Cameroon defeated Côte d’Ivoire in the group stages on their way to lifting the trophy in 2000 and 2002, while earlier group-stage wins in 1984 also preceded Cameroonian triumphs. Conversely, Côte d’Ivoire’s victories over Cameroon in 1992 and 2006 both came via dramatic penalty shoot-outs in the knockout rounds.
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Across their eight AFCON meetings, Cameroon have scored 11 of the 15 goals between the sides and have kept five clean sheets, highlighting their traditional defensive strength in this rivalry. Only once has the fixture ended goalless in the 1992 semi-final, which Côte d’Ivoire went on to win on penalties.
This ninth AFCON meeting ranks among the most frequent matchups in the tournament’s history and carries added significance in Group F, where past meetings suggest that only one of the two may progress. With pride, history, and knockout qualification all in play, another tense and defining chapter is expected when these old rivals meet again under the Agadir lights.
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