Cameroon face Comoros test as David Pagou begins new era

Cameroon begin their CAN 2027 qualifying campaign against Comoros at 20:00 on Thursday, 24 September, with new head coach David Pagou taking charge of the Indomitable Lions at home for the first time.

The match will be played at the Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua, where Cameroon will be expected to start their campaign with victory. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Pagou has previously led the team during training camps held outside Cameroon, but this fixture will give him his first opportunity to manage the national side in front of a home crowd. He is also coach of local club Coton Sport, making the match particularly significant in northern Cameroon.

The priority for Pagou and his players is to make a winning start and build confidence in their qualifying group. However, Comoros are unlikely to provide an easy opening opponent.

Comoros pose a serious threat

The Cœlacanthes have developed a reputation for troubling some of Africa’s bigger nations. Their squad includes players based in Europe, while their organised approach and speed on the counter-attack make them difficult to contain.

Comoros will arrive in Garoua without intimidation and with the aim of taking at least one point. They are a very different side from the team seen more than a decade ago.

The previous meeting between the countries came at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Despite being reduced to 10 men and having no recognised goalkeeper available, Comoros pushed Cameroon hard before losing 2-1 at the Olembe Stadium. That match reinforced the view that the Cœlacanthes remain competitive until the final whistle.

Cameroon will take encouragement from their last appearance in Garoua, when they beat Burundi 1-0 in a tightly contested match. Vincent Aboubakar scored the decisive goal, while the Stade Roumde Adjia played a key role in helping the Lions secure the result.

Cameroon’s expected line-up

Pagou is expected to retain the 3-5-2 formation that helped Cameroon reach the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Simon Ngapandouetnbu is likely to start in goal, behind a three-man defence of Samuel Kotto, Che Malone and Stephane Keller. Junior Tchamadeu is expected to operate on the right, with Mahamadou Nagida on the opposite flank.

Arthur Avom, Ryan Fosso and Danny Namaso are the leading candidates for the midfield, with Carlos Baleba unavailable through injury and Zambo Anguissa having retired.

Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Kofane are expected to form the front two.

Expected Cameroon XI: Ngapandouetnbu; Che Malone, Kotto, Keller; Tchamadeu, Avom, Fosso, Namaso, Nagida; Mbeumo, Kofane.

Former Cameroon Under-20 and Under-23 international Sobze Henri Bayano, who previously played for Phitsanulok FC, also expects a narrow home win.

“Cameroon start as favourites, but they will have to be very careful against this Comoros team, who caused them problems a few years ago,” he told Africafoot.

The match preview refers to a 3.6 quote for the qualifier. The listed prices are 1.30 for a Cameroon win, 6.00 for a draw and 16.00 for a Comoros victory.