Cameroon vs Gabon: The Indomitable Lions join the big boys as Osimhen's teammate suffers opening game defeat at AFCON

Both teams head into the tournament on the back of an elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs.

The two team faced themselves in the first round of the AFCON competition and needed to start the campaign with a win.

However, it was Cameroon who fought the hardest to secure a 1-0 victory over Gabon in their opening game.

Manchester United star Bryan Mbuemo led the attack and Brighton star  Baleba held the midfield for Cameroon.

For Gabon, former Arsenal player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on the bench; likewise, Osimhen’s teammate at Galatasaray, Lemina, was also on the bench.

The Indomitable Lions had a quick start to the game and pounced on the starless Gabonese side in the 8th minute, scoring the opening goal, which was confirmed by VAR.

With the games being one-sided in the first 30 minutes, Gabon's head coach, Thierry Mouyouma, made a drastic decision to bring in Lemina and Aubameyang. 

The change lightened up the pace of Gabon’s game and they almost got the equaliser before the halftime whistle.

The second half was more of an end-to-end game as both teams created attacking moments but could not convert them.

Late on in the game, Gabon camped Cameroon in their own half in search of an equaliser but could not get past their defence.

The game ended in a 1-0 victory for the Indomitable Lions, starting their Group F campaign on a good note.

They join the big boys like Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, South Africa and others in winning their first game of the tournament.