Shots fired! Elephants' boss: 'I know Cameroonians can be very provocative, I won't fall into your trap!'
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 28.12.25. | 15:21
The Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae had some intriguing remarks about his team's next AFCON rival, and even got into an argument with the Cameroonian journalists
The eighth day of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is upon us, and tonight we'll be in for a treat - Ivory Coast and Cameroon will face off in arguably the biggest derby in the tournament so far (23.00).
Even though both teams triumphed 1-0 in their opening games - the Elephants against Mozambique and the Indomitable Lions against Gabon - the nerves are running high, as the eventual triumph secures a knockout phase for the winner.
The Ivory Coast head coach, Emerse Fae, held an interesting press conference yesterday and said some unexpected things about the Cameroonians, but first, he praised David Pagou's team.
"Even if they were a vulnerable team, this isn't just any match. Cameroon will be solid. It's impossible to think they'll be vulnerable in a game like this, despite the absences. Cameroon likes to play with intensity, lots of duels, a lot of physical battles."
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"They know how to play direct football, they create tactical problems because of the attacking freedom they give their forwards. They have great players like Bryan Mbeumo, Carlos Baleba… but it's really their entire team that we have to take seriously," Fae began his speech as reported by L'Equipe.
However, the atmosphere in the press room shortly changed, as the tactician didn't like the remark of one of the Cameroonian journalists that his team was struggling.
"Are we struggling? You didn't watch the match against Mozambique, you were too stressed about Cameroon's match against Gabon, which I think was coming up. You saw our match, and your match, and... I'm not going to elaborate!"
"I came here in a good mood, I'm not going to give in to provocation. I know Cameroonians can be very provocative, I won't fall into your trap. We weren't brilliant, but we weren't struggling either," the annoyed Fae stated.
🇨🇲 David Pagou, Cameroon coach: "I asked my players not to RESPECT Côte d'Ivoire TOO MUCH. When you respect an opponent too much, they look down on you."
— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) December 27, 2025
Emerse Faé, Côte d'Ivoire coach: "We won't respect them either… in the proper sense of the term."pic.twitter.com/pgNGEVrXun
In the end, he touched on the passing of the Elephants' former coach Jean-Louis Gasset - whom Fae succeeded in the middle of the previous AFCON - who died two days ago, aged 72.
"We received the sad news yesterday (Friday). At first, we didn't believe it; we thought it was just a rumor circulating online, like so many others. Then we understood, and disappointment and sadness set in. But we're trying to recall the good memories."
"Half of the players were at the last AFCON and lived with Jean-Louis, but all the staff, the kit managers, the medical team, the logistics team... the entire Ivorian delegation knew him. Jean-Louis was a very good, kind person. Our thoughts are with his family, his mother, with whom he lived, and his brother and assistant, Ghislain Printant," Fae concluded.
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - GROUP STAGE
Friday
Angola - Zimbabwe 1-1 (1-1)
/Dala 24 - Musona 45+6/
Egypt - South Africa 1-0 (1-0)
/Salah 45 pen/
Zambia - Comoros 0-0
Morocco - Mali 1-1 (1-0)
/Diaz 45+5 pen - Sinayoko 64 pen/
Saturday
Benin - Botswana 1-0 (1-0)
/Roche 28/
Senegal - DR Congo 1-1 (0-0)
/Mane 69 - Bakambu 61/
Uganda - Tanzania 1-1 (0-0)
/Ikpeazu 80 - Msuva 59 pen/
Nigeria - Tunis 3-2 (1-0)
/Osimhen 44, Ndidi 50, Lookman 67 - Talbi 74, Abdi 87 pen/
Sunday
15.30: (1.92) Gabon (3.35) Mozambique (4.30)
18.00: (2.50) Equatorial Guinea (3.10) Sudan (3.05)
20.30: (2.00) Algeria (3.35) Burkina Faso (4.00)
23.00: (2.20) Ivory Coast (3.15) Cameroon (3.60)
***odds are subject to change***
