Cameroon secured a vital 1-0 victory over Kenya in their 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium on Monday.
The win keeps the Indomitable Lions at the top of Group J with 10 points, leaving Harambee Stars with an uphill battle in the remaining qualifiers.
The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when Boris Enow struck a low free-kick from the edge of the box, beating the Kenyan defence and slotting the ball into the bottom right corner.
Despite Kenya’s best efforts to equalize, including a missed header from Alphonce Omija deep into stoppage time, they couldn’t find the back of the net.
With this victory, Cameroon strengthens its grip on Group J, leading with 10 points, while Kenya remains third with four points.
Zimbabwe, who are currently second with seven points, will face Namibia later on Monday in the other Group J fixture.
Kenya had several opportunities to level the match, notably Michael Olunga, who saw his shots blocked multiple times by a well-organized Cameroonian defense.
Olunga’s best chance came in the 54th minute when his left-footed shot narrowly missed the target.
Cameroon, led by captain Vincent Aboubakar, remained solid, though Aboubakar himself missed a couple of clear-cut chances.
Kenya now faces an uphill task to revive their AFCON qualification hopes, while Cameroon looks increasingly likely to secure early qualification for the tournament set to be held in Morocco next year.
