Cameroon have become the team to watch at AFCONShareDespite facing all sorts of drama in the build-up and changing coaches just weeks before the tournament, Cameroon have shown themselves to be one of the most exciting teams at AFCON.By Neel ShelatWith less than a week to go before the start of the tournament, Cameroon seemed to be in chaos. They had submitted two different squad lists for the Africa Cup of Nations. One of them came from Marc Brys, the coach who had been dismissed by the FA just weeks prior, though he did not view the termination of his contract as legitimate. The other was from newly-appointed coach David Pagou, and featured notable omissions including André Onana as well as all-time second top-scorer Vincent Aboubakar.Of course, it was the FA that won out eventually, but these events certainly did not serve as ideal preparation for the tournament. Having been drawn into a tough group alongside the defending champions Ivory Coast, many feared that the five-time champions might even face an early exit.The Indomitable Lions proved the doubters wrong by coasting through the group with two wins and a draw before going on to knock a strong South Africa side out of the Round of 16, all while playing some entertaining football. As they gear up to take on hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals on Friday, one could argue that the tournament has already been a success for them.A youthful coreRegardless of how much further Cameroon go in this tournament, they should definitely be pleased with how their youngsters have performed. They have the lowest average age based on minutes played in the tournament, having started at least five players aged under 23 in all but one game.Cameroon’s starting XI vs. South AfricaEven at just 22 years of age, Carlos Baleba was one of the standout names in the Indomitable Lions squad going into his first AFCON. His qualities have been put to excellent use in Pagou’s new system, in which he is instructed to stay deep in midfield. His exceptional ground coverage and duel-winning make him a great shield for the centre-backs, and he has also shown some lovely forward passing when given more time and space. By all accounts, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder is set to be a key figure in his national team for years to come.Closest to him tends to be Arthur Avom, who currently plies his trade in Ligue 1. The 21-year-old midfielder has more of a license to move up and down to connect play through the middle, so his link-up play and ball carrying have stood out more. The Lorient youngster also gets around a good deal defensively and does not mind getting stuck into challenges, so he forms a great partnership with Baleba.Avom’s player traits, based on performances in Ligue 1Samuel Kotto has looked solid at the heart of the defence while Junior Tchamadeu has worked hard to get up and down the right flank, but the revelation of the tournament has to be Christian Kofane. The teenage striker’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric; he hadn’t even made his senior debut this time last year!After standing out for Spanish second division side Albacete in the second half of last season, Kofane earned a headline-making move to Bayer Leverkusen last summer. An injury to their lead striker presented him with a golden opportunity to get a string of starts, and he made the most out of it. The 19-year-old forward already has five goals and a couple of assists for his new club, earning him a ticket to Morocco ahead of veterans such as Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.Getting in the squad was impressive enough, but that was only the start of Kofane’s AFCON story. Although he was kept on the bench for the opener, he put together some impressive performances in the subsequent group games to get a start in the Round of 16. He repaid the coach’s faith by scoring the crucial second goal, besides doing a great job of leading the attacking line with his clever movement.Kofane’s shot map at his first major tournamentAn open tactical setupBesides the young talent in the squad, Cameroon have been a great team to watch at this AFCON because of their style of play. Despite being thrust into the job with just days to go before the tournament, Pagou has devised and implemented a new tactical setup that is currently getting the best out of the players.The Indomitable Lions used to favour a back four under their previous head coach, but have switched to a back three in Morocco. Their formation has been described as either a 3-5-1-1 or a 3-4-2-1, but the ideas behind it have remained similar in either case.The trio of centre-backs offer good solidity at the back, with captain Nouhou Tolo on the left also enjoying some freedom to help progress the ball as well. Ahead of Baleba and Avom, Danny Namaso has proven to be a handy attacking midfielder with his ability to find space and receive the ball in pockets high up the pitch. The wing backs protect the flanks defensively while also going up to add width to the attack, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to drift inside and operate in the areas opened up by Kofane’s movement.Cameroon have tended to make their games quite open with this setup, trusting the central midfielders to cover a lot of ground. They often step up to press their opponents and look to pose a direct threat if they manage to turn the ball over. They generally like to attack with speed as well, moving the ball forward quickly and looking to release the forwards into space.While this approach is quite entertaining, it does leave Pagou’s side largely unable to control games. So, as they prepare for a big clash against one of the outright tournament favourites in Morocco, Cameroon will have to hope that their opponents are not able to stamp their authority too much and embrace the chaos instead.(Images via IMAGO)You can follow the Africa Cup of Nations on FotMob – with deep stats and players ratings. Download the free app here.Cameroon have become the team to watch at AFCONDespite facing all sorts of drama in the build-up and changing coaches just weeks before the tournament, Cameroon have shown themselves to be one of the most exciting teams at AFCON.By Neel ShelatWith less than a week to go before the start of the tournament, Cameroon seemed to be in chaos. They had submitted two different squad lists for the Africa Cup of Nations. One of them came from Marc Brys, the coach who had been dismissed by the FA just weeks prior, though he did not view the termination of his contract as legitimate. The other was from newly-appointed coach David Pagou, and featured notable omissions including André Onana as well as all-time second top-scorer Vincent Aboubakar.Of course, it was the FA that won out eventually, but these events certainly did not serve as ideal preparation for the tournament. Having been drawn into a tough group alongside the defending champions Ivory Coast, many feared that the five-time champions might even face an early exit.The Indomitable Lions proved the doubters wrong by coasting through the group with two wins and a draw before going on to knock a strong South Africa side out of the Round of 16, all while playing some entertaining football. As they gear up to take on hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals on Friday, one could argue that the tournament has already been a success for them.A youthful coreRegardless of how much further Cameroon go in this tournament, they should definitely be pleased with how their youngsters have performed. They have the lowest average age based on minutes played in the tournament, having started at least five players aged under 23 in all but one game.Cameroon’s starting XI vs. South AfricaEven at just 22 years of age, Carlos Baleba was one of the standout names in the Indomitable Lions squad going into his first AFCON. His qualities have been put to excellent use in Pagou’s new system, in which he is instructed to stay deep in midfield. His exceptional ground coverage and duel-winning make him a great shield for the centre-backs, and he has also shown some lovely forward passing when given more time and space. By all accounts, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder is set to be a key figure in his national team for years to come.Closest to him tends to be Arthur Avom, who currently plies his trade in Ligue 1. The 21-year-old midfielder has more of a license to move up and down to connect play through the middle, so his link-up play and ball carrying have stood out more. The Lorient youngster also gets around a good deal defensively and does not mind getting stuck into challenges, so he forms a great partnership with Baleba.Avom’s player traits, based on performances in Ligue 1Samuel Kotto has looked solid at the heart of the defence while Junior Tchamadeu has worked hard to get up and down the right flank, but the revelation of the tournament has to be Christian Kofane. The teenage striker’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric; he hadn’t even made his senior debut this time last year!After standing out for Spanish second division side Albacete in the second half of last season, Kofane earned a headline-making move to Bayer Leverkusen last summer. An injury to their lead striker presented him with a golden opportunity to get a string of starts, and he made the most out of it. The 19-year-old forward already has five goals and a couple of assists for his new club, earning him a ticket to Morocco ahead of veterans such as Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.Getting in the squad was impressive enough, but that was only the start of Kofane’s AFCON story. Although he was kept on the bench for the opener, he put together some impressive performances in the subsequent group games to get a start in the Round of 16. He repaid the coach’s faith by scoring the crucial second goal, besides doing a great job of leading the attacking line with his clever movement.Kofane’s shot map at his first major tournamentAn open tactical setupBesides the young talent in the squad, Cameroon have been a great team to watch at this AFCON because of their style of play. Despite being thrust into the job with just days to go before the tournament, Pagou has devised and implemented a new tactical setup that is currently getting the best out of the players.The Indomitable Lions used to favour a back four under their previous head coach, but have switched to a back three in Morocco. Their formation has been described as either a 3-5-1-1 or a 3-4-2-1, but the ideas behind it have remained similar in either case.The trio of centre-backs offer good solidity at the back, with captain Nouhou Tolo on the left also enjoying some freedom to help progress the ball as well. Ahead of Baleba and Avom, Danny Namaso has proven to be a handy attacking midfielder with his ability to find space and receive the ball in pockets high up the pitch. The wing backs protect the flanks defensively while also going up to add width to the attack, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to drift inside and operate in the areas opened up by Kofane’s movement.Cameroon have tended to make their games quite open with this setup, trusting the central midfielders to cover a lot of ground. They often step up to press their opponents and look to pose a direct threat if they manage to turn the ball over. They generally like to attack with speed as well, moving the ball forward quickly and looking to release the forwards into space.While this approach is quite entertaining, it does leave Pagou’s side largely unable to control games. So, as they prepare for a big clash against one of the outright tournament favourites in Morocco, Cameroon will have to hope that their opponents are not able to stamp their authority too much and embrace the chaos instead.(Images via IMAGO)You can follow the Africa Cup of Nations on FotMob – with deep stats and players ratings. Download the free app here.