The U17 Indomitable Lions will be heading to AFCON2023 in Algeria with the weight of defending the trophy won by their predecessors in 2019.
The youth football tournament will be making its return four years after the previous edition after the 2021 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cameroon U17 Lions Set to Defend Title in Algeria Next Month.
The 2023 tournament in Algeria will be the first edition to involve 12 teams instead of the usual 8.
The U17 Lions qualified for the 2023 continental showpiece by emerging champions of the UNIFFAC tournament, which was hosted on home soil in late 2022.
In Which Group Will Cameroon Compete?
Cameroon belongs to group C with two previous winners of the competition; Mali (two times champions) and Burkina Faso (1 time). Debutants South Sudan is the fourth team in the group.
The young Lions will open their title defense on the 1st of May 2023 against South Sudan before facing off with 2 times champions Mali on the 4th of May. They round off the group stage with a clash against Burkina Faso on the 7th of May.
Who are the key players for Cameroon U17 Lions?
The current U17 team is loaded with talents in all areas of the pitch, but the main man to watch is attacker Dorinel Yondjo Matah Angel, who burst into the scene during last year's UNIFFAC tournament.
The Ecole de Football Des Brasseries du Cameroon (EFBC) player emerged top scorer in the qualifying tournament and has been making waves since then, sweeping several individual accolades along the way. Other talents to watch are Collins Akamba and Harouna Djibirin, both on the books of EFBC.
Coach Fiala's provisional list also includes prodigies from top-flight teams APEJES of Mfou and Coton Sport of Garoua as well as players from Cameroon's National football academy, ANAFOOT.
Who is the Head Coach of Cameroon's U17 team?
The team is managed by former indomitable Lion Jean Pierre Fial, a seasoned professional who was part of Cameroon's technical staff during the 2021 U20 tournament in Mauritania. After the draws were released, Coach Fiala said his primary objective would be to qualify for the FIFA U17 world cup to be held later this year.
Fiala said: "Our objective is to be among the best four teams and earn qualification for the World Cup. To achieve that, we have to win games. We have to keep working. It's a good tournament that we want to create a lasting impression, especially because we are title holders."