Cameroon skipper Vincent Abubakar believes his side can secure a spot at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 by defeating Kenya twice next month.

The five-time African champions are in Group J of the qualifiers, alongside Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

The 32-year-old striker, who recently left Besiktas for rivals Hatayspor in the Turkish Süper Lig, shared his thoughts after a frustrating 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe in their second group match, played at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, on Tuesday.

“We shouldn’t overlook the one point earned against Zimbabwe. I believe if we win both games against Kenya, we will qualify,” Abubakar said.

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Although Abubakar’s remarks may sound confident, history favours Cameroon in their encounters with Harambee Stars, who have never beaten them in any competition.

Since 1972, the two sides have faced each other eight times, with Cameroon winning four and drawing four matches.

Cameroon are currently tied with Kenya at the top of Group J, both teams having collected four points.

In their group opener, Abubakar scored the decisive goal as Cameroon edged out Namibia 1-0 in Yaoundé. The match took place amid chaotic preparations, with tensions simmering between the football federation (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o and Minister of Sports Narcisse Mouelle Kombi over control of the team’s preparations and logistics.

A faction loyal to Kombi camped in the capital Yaoundé, while another group aligned with Eto’o went directly to Douala, where the match against Namibia was played. It took a court order for FECAFOOT officials to access the players’ passports for match logistics.

Kenya’s Harambee Stars, on the other hand, battled to a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe before securing a valuable 2-1 win over Namibia in their second match.

The Stars will travel to Cameroon on 7 October 2024 for Match Day 3, before hosting the return leg seven days later.