Fresh off contrasting results in their most recent outings, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon will face off at Marrakech Stadium on Monday.

Nzalang Nacional head into this encounter following a 2-1 defeat against Gambia at the same venue on Friday, while it was success for the Indomitable Lions in their own contest against Uganda.

Match preview

In that clash at Marrakech, where the game’s decisive moments unfolded before the break, Jesus Mansogo’s strike on the stroke of half time proved to be nothing more than a mere consolation for Equatorial Guinea, who had earlier conceded twice.

The result only added to Nzalang Nacional’s recent woes, with Juan Micha’s men now without a win in back-to-back outings, including a 1-1 World Cup qualifiers stalemate in March.

Their only success in seven matches across all competitions remains a 2-0 triumph over Group H’s basement side Sao Tome and Principe, with the rest of the stretch ending in three defeats and three draws.

That return has left the Equatoguineans rooted in fourth place in their qualifying bracket, trailing table-topping Tunisia by nine points with just four matches left to play, all but ending their hopes of automatic qualification.

Even their chances of making it through the inter-continental playoffs seem slim, with a five-point gap to second spot placing huge pressure on Equatoria Guinea to deliver a near-flawless run in their remaining qualifiers.

This friendly offers a timely chance to rediscover belief for Micha’s men, who have faced Cameroon on three occasions, with either team claiming one win apiece while the other fixture ended in a 1-1 draw back in a 2011 friendly.

Meanwhile, Cameroon will approach this tie with renewed confidence, having extended their unbeaten streak in 2025 to three matches.

Since a 2-1 setback to Central African Republic in the second leg of their African Nations Championship preliminaries, Marc Brys’s men have bounced back with a 1-1 draw against Eswatini and an assured 3-1 victory over Libya in March’s World Cup qualifiers.

That upturn in fortunes has placed the five-time Africa Cup of Nations champions second in Group D, just one point shy of leaders Cape Verde, with the qualifying campaign set to reach its business end following their June friendlies.

Cameroon made light work of Uganda on Friday, cruising to a 3-0 victory, and they will now look to make it three wins on the bounce with the Indomitable Lions aiming to build momentum for their crucial doubleheaders in September and October.

Team News

There was something to savour for 24-year-old midfielder Mayogo, who marked his debut with a goal against Gambia, a moment that should earn him another opportunity from the off.

Also catching the eye were 20-year-old centre-back Hugo Buyla and defensive utility man Santi Boriko, who were both handed their first starts having previously come off the bench for their only senior caps.

Veteran forward and captain Emilio Nsue, an unused substitute last time out, is expected to return to the XI as he looks to add to his all-time national team record of 21 goals.

For Cameroon, all three goals against Uganda were courtesy of players breaking their duck at international level, with Osasuna defender Flavien Boyomo, Huesca forward Patrick Soko and Jean Batoum all opening their accounts.

Captain Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench to supply an assist in what was his 111th international appearance, a milestone that now places him just seven matches behind Samuel Eto'o and Geremi Njitap in joint second on Cameroon’s all-time caps list.

Equatorial Guinea possible starting lineup:

Embela; Maye, Boriko, Anieboh, Ndong; Buyla, Masogo, Eneme; Hanza, Nsue, Miranda

Cameroon possible starting lineup:

Omossola; J. Eto’o, Castelletto, Bayomo, Nagida; Younoussa, Onana, Mfoumou; Soko, Aboubakar, Batoum