Cameroon will look to take one step closer towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup when they face Eswatini at the Mbombela Stadium in South Africa on Wednesday, March 19.
The Indomitable Lions lead the way in Group D of CAF qualifying after picking up eight points from their opening four matches, although Libya, 2nd, Cape Verde, 3rd, and Angola, 4th, are breathing down their necks.
Marc Brys’ side maintained their unbeaten start in the group with a 1-1 draw against the Black Sable Antelopes on 11 June 2024, which came just three days after they had cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Blue Sharks.
The five-time African champions have a healthy goal difference though, courtesy of their big wins over Mauritius, 3-0, and Cape Verde, giving them a five-goal cushion to the Mediterranean Knights and the Angolans, who are the only other unbeaten team in the group.
The Libyans took two points off Cameroon following a 1-1 draw on 21 November 2023 and they trail the Central African giants by just one point to be tied with Cape Verde on seven.
Meanwhile, Eswatini have a mammoth task in front of them if they wish to qualify for the global showpiece for the first time in their history.
The King’s Shield have nothing to show for their efforts thus far since the qualifiers got underway in November 2023 after suffering four straight defeats.
Zdravko Logarusic is still searching for his first win as head coach, having collected just two points from his first six games at the helm as his side failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Logarusic, who only took over the reins of the national team in August 2024, has at least had more time to get to know his players and will be looking for an improved performance in the coming eight months as he attempts to turn around their fortunes.
The Southern Africans have only scored one goal in their four Group D outings, with a 2-1 defeat to the Dodos on 11 June 2024 leaving them on a minus-five goal difference.
