As the final whistle blew at the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Eswatini in Yaounde, Coach Marc Brys knew the celebrations of a 3-0 victory would be short-lived, with a crucial showdown against Cape Verde looming on the horizon.
The Indomitable Lions return to a scene of familiar misery with Brys and know they will face a stormy reception when they attempt to finish the job today at the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia against their familiar foes.
The last time the Cameroon national team travelled to Praia, Brys was in charge of Belgian club OH Leuven and was sacked after a stint of three seasons.
He retired and settled with his wife in his home in Crete. But six months later, Brys was appointed head coach of the team and led them out of choppy waters.
More than a year after, there is no scintilla of doubt that nobody fitted the bill better than Brys. The renaissance of the Cameroon national team under the Belgian tactician has already had tangible results, although not in the shape of a trophy.
His tactical acumen has transformed the team with Brys becoming the first Indomitable Lions head coach to go on a 13-game unbeaten run.
🔴 Marc Brys domine le classement des entraîneurs ayant eu la plus longue série d’invincibilité à la tête des Lions Indomptables 💫🇨🇲 :
— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) September 7, 2025
1- Marc Brys : 13 matchs 🔝
2- Hugo Bross : 12 matchs
3- Winfried Schäfer : 11 matchs
4- Artur Jorge et Volker Finke: 10 matchs
[Kola… pic.twitter.com/3pnflvMt0c
Brys is in Cape Verde with a reputation and a clearly established mission. Could he stamp his years of experience and lead the team to a famous win?
In this piece, CamerToday examines why the clash against Cape Verde is Brys’ most daunting challenge.
Familiar challenge, same ending?
Cameroon’s away record against Cape Verde is hardly something to send confidence. The Indomitable Lions have lost their last two games during their last visits to Cape Verde. While they attempt to break the jinx, the hosts are keen on maintaining the status quo.
Cape Verde have not lost at home since the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and have not conceded either. The only time they shared points was against Angola in a 0-0 stalemate. They also narrowly edged Mauritius and Libya on a similar 1-0 score.
Also, their last defeat at home was on October 10, 2024 against Botswana during the qualifiers of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
If history is any guide, victory will remain elusive.
Reclaiming the top seat
The outcome of Tuesday’s clash will determine who seats top of group D before the final fixtures of the world cup qualifiers in October.
The Indomitable Lions are keen on reclaiming the leadership position of the group after being overtaken by Cape Verde in the standings. They dropped to the runner-up position after a disappointing goalless draw against Eswatini during the first leg clash in March.
#FIFAWC2026Q#Football ⚽️
— CRTVweb (@CRTV_web) September 6, 2025
Les Lions indomptables procèdent ce 06 septembre à leur première séance d’entraînement au stade « Estadio national », de Praia. Ils y affronteront le Cabo Verde, le pays hôte ce 09 septembre 2025. pic.twitter.com/HDeTYmAIrr
Cameroon boost of a star-studded squad. They have scored 12 goals so far in the qualifiers including in each of the games except against Eswatini. Brys will be counting on the talent of his Manchester United duo, Bryan Mbeumo and Andre Onana, Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa of Napoli, Jackson Tchatchoua of Wolverhampton Wanderers, amongst others.
They have torn plenty of defences apart. Can they summon the calvary to return to the top?
Brys has enjoyed a perfect home record with the Cameroon national team since he was appointed. But he has struggled to impress on away trips. Only the winner of each group will directly qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the four best group runners-up will participate in play-offs to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Cape Verde plotting revenge
Cape Verde’s 4-1 defeat to Cameroon during the first leg in Yaounde was hard to stomach. They were left to chase shadows for large spells of the game. Their resolute showing during the first half was undone as the Indomitable Lions lethal attack punished them ruthlessly. It was not only the defeat, but the manner in which they lost.
The return leg promises to produce fireworks. Cape Verde are in such an unstoppable roll at the moment. Few teams have matched their firepower at home.
Cape Verde is busting with confidence ahead of the encounter. They have now won four of their seven matches with two draws and a defeat to Mauritania in November last year. They have also scored 10 goals and conceded five times across all competitions.
If it is true that defeating a team in the same competition is difficult, then Cameroon has an ultimate test before them.
Cape Verde eyes World Cup spot
Cape Verde heads for the crunch clash knowing that a slip-up to Cameroon will cost them the leadership position of group D two days to the end of the qualifiers.
Their drive in the qualifiers has raised expectations that they can finally qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.
The Blue Sharks know that a win against Cameroon will push them closer to qualify for the quadrennial football competition. They have two final games to round off the qualifiers against Libya in Tripoli and Eswatini at home.
🔴 Marc Brys en conférence de presse d’avant match :
— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) September 8, 2025
« C’est un match entre le numéro 1 et le numéro 2 donc plus important, ce n’est pas possible. C’est pour ça que j’étais fâché, parce qu’on ne s’est pas entraînés ici hier. Ce n’était pas prévu. C’est dommage […] Le vent ? On… pic.twitter.com/CiYqxABopD
Cameroon aims to extend record
Cameroon has qualified for the FIFA World Cup eight times, more than any other African team and four times in a row between 1990 and 2002. The Central African nation is also the first team from the continent to reach the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup in 1990.
Brys and his team are looking forward to cementing their dominance by qualifying for their second consecutive World Cup tournament after 2022.
A defeat or draw could affect their chances of qualifying. After Cape Verde, they still have a tricky Mauritius fixture in their penultimate group clash and Angola at home, in what could be a make-or-break clash.
Cameroon has been here before. They defeated Algeria in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Indomitable Lions lost the first-leg 1-0 in Douala but stunned Algeria at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker stadium 2-1 to qualify.
Tuesday’s game is up for the taking. The winner stands a better chance to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by the United States of America (USA), Canada and Mexico.