Cameroon national team, the Indomitable Lions will be facing Afcon 2013 semi-finalists Burkina Faso on Saturday 14th January 2017 at Stade D’Angondje stadium located in Liberville,Gabon.

It will be the second match of the day and for Cameroon will be making their 18th appearance at the biggest African football showcase.Their last meet with Burkina Faso was in an international friendly in 2015 in which Cameroon won 3-2.

The Idomatable Lions came through qualifying at the expense of South Africa and were unbeaten with four wins and two draws and they kept five clean sheets in those matches seeing off Mauritania, Gambia and South Africa.

Their most recent of their four AFCON titles came in 2002 and the best recent performance came in 2008 when they finished as runners up. However 2015 Afcon was dissastrous outing for Cameroon as they finished bottom of their group after two draws and one defeat.

Coached by Belgian Hugo Broos, the squad lacks a number of regulars after seven of their best players declined to participate in this years tournament citing bad experience with the past team officials.

All in all Cameroon has a rich history at the tournament having won it four times, in 1984,1988,2000 and 2002 and will not be pushovers as its a squad made of talents.

For the 63 years old Broos he has been in charge for less than a year in an appointed that came as a replacement of German coach Volker Finke, whose contract was not renewed last October 2015.

Supported by Alexandre Belinga and 36-year-old Belgian, Sven Vanden Broeck as his assistants Broos, had a successful spell in his coaching career in his home country, leading Club Brugge to two Belgian titles in 1992 and 1996, before also winning the first division while in charge of Anderlecht in 2004.

The Belgian is not new to African football as he has coached Algeria in recent years.

The key player in his squad  is undoubtedly Lorient’s star Benjamin Moukandjo of French club Lorient.The gifted forward is known for his pace is also capable of playing defense roles. Capped 36 times by the Indomitable Lions, he is a player to be relied upon for goals ,providing assist and he can ‘single handedly’ push his team far in the tournament.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso on their side will be taking their place in the 2017 Afcon edition after coming through a fairly weak qualifying group with four wins, one draw and just the one defeat.

Nicknamed the Les Etalons (The Stallions) most recently thrashed Cape Verde 2-0 in a win that most suggests they are a useful side and tough to beat in Group A.

Burkinabes best AFCON performance to date came in 2013 in an event hosted by South Africa when they went all the way to the final where they lost 1-0 to Nigeria.However in AFCON 2015 Burkina Faso disappointed, finishing bottom of their group with just one point.

Coached by Pourtuguese national Paulo Duarte they named their squad on the deadline day set by CAF the side enjoys a fine ran in their past seven matches compared to their opponents.Simply unbeaten in the friendlies before tommorrows game,the Stallions are ranked 7th in Africa comparesd to Cameroon who are in position 13th.

Duarte will be making his third appearenace with the Panthers as he was previously in charge between 2007 and 2012. The 47-year-old is also a former coach of host nation and group rivals, Gabon.

The West Africans will higly depend on Bertrand Traore who turn for Ajax , the team he joined this season from Chelsea ,as he undoubtedly one of the most exciting forwards in African football today.

The youngster received his first call up at a tender age of 15 establishing himself and now has become a lynchpin of the side in recent tournaments.