The African football world is holding its breath. This Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM GMT, the Elephants of Ivory Coast and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will meet for a historic 9th duel in the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN).

While the prospect of a match is enticing, the statistics favor Yaoundé: in eight previous encounters, Cameroon leads with five wins to Ivory Coast's three . A look back at a legendary rivalry.

1. Cameroonian domination (1970 - 1986)

The first act took place in Sudan in 1970. Despite a brace from the legendary Laurent Pokou, the Ivorians were defeated by the Cameroonians (3-2).

Fourteen years later, in 1984 , Cameroon inflicted a national trauma on Ivory Coast by eliminating the Elephants on their own soil in the first round (2-0). This supremacy was confirmed in 1986 , where the indispensable Roger Milla propelled his team to the final by scoring the only goal of the semi-final (1-0).

2. The Ivorian resurgence and the years of turmoil (1992 - 2002)

It wasn't until 1992 in Senegal that Ivory Coast finally broke their losing streak. After a tight match (0-0), the Elephants prevailed on penalties (3-1) on their way to their first title.

However, the early 2000s marked a strong comeback for Cameroon:

1. 2000 (Ghana): A 3-0 thrashing with goals from Kalla, Eto'o and Mboma.
2. 2002 (Mali): Another Ivorian defeat (1-0) with a goal from Patrick Mboma.

3. Restoring balance (2006 - 2015)

Recent history has become more favorable to the Ivorians. In 2006 , after a memorable penalty shootout (12-11), Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast eliminated Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

The last encounter dates back to 2015. A moment of brilliance from Max-Alain Gradel (1-0) allowed Ivory Coast to win, ideally launching the Elephants towards their second continental star.

Summary of AFCON matches

Year	Winner	Score	Competition stage
1970	Cameroon	3 - 2	Group stage
1984	Cameroon	2 - 0	Group stage
1986	Cameroon	1 - 0	Semi-final
1992	Ivory Coast	0 - 0 (3-1 tab)	Semi-final
2000	Cameroon	3 - 0	Group stage
2002	Cameroon	1 - 0	Group stage
2006	Ivory Coast	1 - 1 (12-11 tab)	Quarter final
2015	Ivory Coast	1 - 0	Group stage

This Sunday, the 9th chapter of "one of Africa's greatest classics" promises to be electrifying. Between the Lions' thirst for revenge and the Elephants' desire to even the odds, a spectacular match is guaranteed.