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Cameroon are unbeaten in five meetings with Algeria, including a win and a draw in 2018 World Cup qualifying. Cameroon are unbeaten in competitive home games since 1973 (excluding penalty shootouts).
Both teams to score is 5/4.
Draw and under 2.5 goals is 12/5.
Match preview
These two powerhouses have won seven Africa Cup of Nations titles between them, but only one will be going to Qatar in November.
Cameroon have qualified for seven World Cups in their history, an African record, but missed out on Russia, despite appearing at six of the previous seven editions.
Already in this campaign, les Lions Indomitables have had to knockout fellow-giants Côte d’Ivoire, winning a do or die game 1-0 in November.
They did beat Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Comoros and the Gambia but were eventually eliminated at the semi-final stage by Egypt on penalties.
Just two days later, they came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Burkina Faso in the third-place play-off before winning that on penalties.
This means, with both technically ending in draws, Cameroon still haven’t lost a competitive match on home soil since a defeat to Zaire in 1973.
Nevertheless, Toni Conceição was sacked as Head Coach last month with Rigobert Song, who won 137 caps as a player, taking his first senior job in management.
Will Cameroon’s record caps holder make a winning start as manager in Douala?
Algeria meanwhile were amongst also the favourites to lift the trophy at AFCON 2021 having won their second African title last time round in 2019.
However, the Dessert Foxes embarrassingly crashed out in the group stages, drawing with Sierra Leone before defeats to Equatorial Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite this, Head Coach Djamel Belmadi is still in charge, but is under serious pressure to deliver World Cup qualification.
Algeria scored 25 goals in their six games to get this far, hammering Djibouti and Niger whilst edging out Burkina Faso to first place.
So, the Greens are within touching distance of a fifth World Cup appearance, most recently appearing at 2010 and 2014 iterations.
Can Algeria end Cameroon’s 49-year unbeaten home streak at Stade de Japoma?
Cameroon team news
It’s fair to say that Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi will be key to Cameroon’s success in this tie.
They scored eight and five goals respectively at AFCON with Aboubakar’s haul the most at a single tournament since Ndaye Mulamba’s nine in 1974.
They’re likely to lead the line with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left in reserve.
Elsewhere, Swansea midfielder Olivier Ntcham could make his international debut after switching allegiance from France.
He’s likely to parter André-Frank Zambo Anguissa of Napoli in central midfield.
Goalkeeper André Onana has been shaky since returning from his ten-month drugs ban, but will need to be at his best for this tie.
Algeria team news
11 players who were in the Africa Cup of Nations squad just two months ago have not been called up this time.
These include Yacine Brahimi, Baghdad Bounedjah, who got the winner in the 2019 final, West Ham’s Saïd Benrahma and Adam Ounas of Napoli.
Riyāḍ Maḥrez is included of course and he’ll be dreaming that his 27th international goal can fire his country back to the World Cup.
Without Bounedjah, veteran Islam Slimani of Sporting CP could lead the line.
Further back, A.C. Milan’s Ismaël Bennacer is, without doubt, one of the best midfielders in African football.
Ramy Bensebaïni and Aïssa Mandi will be hoping for more defensive solidity than was on show in Cameroon just ten weeks ago.
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