Football fans are Friday night expected to be treated to what promises to be a clash of the titans when defending champions Senegal take on five-time winners Cameroon in their second group-stage Afcon match at Yamoussoukro Stadium.
Both sides boast of top-class players and a stellar track record in the continental tournament with Senegal still riding on their reigning champions tag earned two years ago in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Senegal who kicked off their title defence campaign on Monday with a convincing 3-0 win against debutants Gambia will be looking to replicate the results when they take on the Indomitable Lions at Yamoussoukro Stadium.
Cameroon will enter the match seeking to redeem themselves after they settled for a hard-fought 1-1 draw against 10-man Guinea in their opening Group C clash on Monday.
Cameroon finished third in the previous tournament held on home soil and will be looking to up the ante during the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ivory Coast.
The Lions of Teranga and Cameroon have met five times in Afcon starting with the 1990 encounter where Senegal won 2-0 in their group stage match.
Cameroon won their three knockout ties; in the 1992 quarter-finals (1-0), in the 2002 final (0-0, 3-2 penalties) and 2017 quarter-finals (0-0, 5-4 penalties.
In Friday’s clash scheduled at 8 pm, Sadio Mane is expected to marshal Senegal’s attack and are unlikely to make too many changes to their starting lineup as they had to the game with no fresh injury concerns with Édouard Mendy between the posts.
Cameroon on the other hand will be hoping star striker Vincent Aboubakar will be able to feature after missing their opener due to a thigh injury picked up in training last week.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana who plies his trade with Manchester United is also expected to start after his late arrival to camp that was preceded by chaotic travel ahead of their clash with Guinea.
Senegal predicted XI: Mendy; Jakobs, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diatta; Gueye, A Diallo, Camara; Mane, H Diallo, Sarr.
Cameroon predicted XI: Onana; Yongwa, Wooh, Moukoudi, Castelletto; Zambo Anguissa, Kemen, Ntcham; Nkoudou, Ekambi, Magri.
