Cameroon’s U17 football team, defending champions of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), will begin their title defense mission on Thursday against Mali in Annaba. Head coach Serge Mimpo announced during the pre-match press conference that his players are ready and focused for the game against a tough Malian side. He added “We are calmly preparing for this match while respecting Mali”.
Group C was reshuffled with the elimination of South Sudan, meaning only three teams will compete. Mimpo, a gold medalist with the Cameroon team at the 2000 Olympic Games, said this had altered their plans. However, he stated that they have calmly prepared and intend to win all their matches.
Mali began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso. Cameroon coach Mimpo noted that he saw the strengths and weaknesses of Mali during their first match and that they have a plan that will assist them in winning.
“Here to keep our trophy”
Mimpo has reaffirmed his team’s ambition to retain the title. “We are here to keep our trophy. That’s really what we are here for,” he said. Cameroon’s captain, Sony Evina, echoed Mimpo’s sentiments, saying that their objective is to win the trophy. He said that they are not under pressure, but that they want to follow in their big brothers’ footsteps from 2019.
During the press conference, Skipper Sony Evina remarked that they are ready to accommodate the change and keep within their targets. He stated that they analyzed Mali’s strengths and weaknesses in their previous game and that they are not afraid of anything.
Match details
The match between Cameroon and Mali will take place at Annaba Stadium at 5 pm local time. A victory for Cameroon will put them in a good position to secure a place in the quarter-finals, while Mali will secure their place with just one point.
