Cameroon head coach David Pagou has described South Africa as the most cohesive side at the Africa Cup of Nations, as his team prepares for a demanding test against Bafana Bafana.
Pagou said his players have been urged to remain focused and express themselves fully while trusting in Cameroon’s own qualities against a well-drilled South African outfit.
“What we want to instil in our players is the need to stay focused and play to their full potential, relying on our own qualities,” Pagou said. “We are facing a very strong South African team that we know very well. They have reached a high level of collective play, having been together for a long time. In my opinion, they are the most cohesive team in this competition.”
Despite the challenge, the Cameroon coach stressed the pride attached to competing at the continental showpiece. “It will be a very difficult match, but as I told my players, it is a point of pride just to be here,” he added.
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South Africa, meanwhile, are equally motivated. Midfielder Teboho Mokoena says there is a clear resolve within the Bafana camp to improve on their last AFCON campaign as they look to match Cameroon’s pedigree on the big stage.
“The talk in the camp is that we need to do better than we did in the last AFCON,” Mokoena said. “We know it will be a tough game against Cameroon, but we are looking forward to it.”
Within the Cameroon squad, defender Samuel Kotto highlighted the hard work behind their progress and the strong unity in the camp.
“A lot of work and preparation is underway,” Kotto said. “It is a matter of great pride to represent our country. Being here is the result of hard work and the support of my teammates; we are like a family.”
Past meetings suggest another tight contest. The last three encounters between South Africa and Cameroon have all ended in draws, including a friendly in January 2015 and both fixtures during qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, a statistic that underlines just how little separates the two sides ahead of this latest AFCON showdown.
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