The indomitable lions of Cameroon will not live to see their dream of having a 6th Star on their jersey come to reality. They were brutally booted out of the 2025 African Cup of Nations at the quarter-finals by host country Morocco on a 2 – 0 score. The match that was played Friday January 9, 2026 at the Complex Spotif Prince Moulay Abdellah was filled with mixed emotions as the fans of the indomitable lions saw their fate crushed with the numerous obstacles they witnessed as the 12th player.

From the injury incurred by the Midfielder Junior Tchamadeu, to the numerous fouls perpetrated on the different players who received no compensation from the referee, the frustration from the fans was loud and clear given the silence at the stands.

During the post-match conference, the Indomitable Lionsl’s Head coach David Pagou, despite the loss, could not help but be proud of his players while assuring Cameroonians of future improvements.

“We are proud of this group. They gave a lot of emotion to the Cameroonian public, and that was the goal. The desire was there, but unfortunately Morocco stopped us. We faced a very strong Moroccan team that has played together for years. There is no shame in this defeat. We will not destroy this group. We will continue to build and improve,”.

Moroccan head Coach Walid Regragui after the win tilted his address after the encounter towards the refereeing controversy.

“Since the start of the competition, some people have tried to make others believe that Morocco benefits from refereeing decisions. That is not true. I never speak about referees, even though penalties were not given to us, including in Côte d’Ivoire. We win our matches on the pitch. The statistics show we create more chances and deserve our victories. No goal has ever been unfairly disallowed for us. Morocco is the team to beat, and when you are the team to beat, people look for excuses. Our only advantage is playing at home, in front of 65,000 supporters. Everything else is decided on the field. Today, we deserved our victory. The best team will win, Inshallah.”

Alongside the Indomptables lions of Cameroon were the Eagles of Mali that were equally booted out of the competitive by the Teranga lions of Senegal. Of the 24 teams that qualified for the 2025 AFCON, only 4 teams – Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and Senagal- will be battling to get the trophy back home.