Cameroon Afcon fact box

Fact box on African Nations Cup qualifiers Cameroon.

Previous appearances in finals: (16) 1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010.

Best performance: Winners 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002

Drawn in Group D with Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali.

Coach: Volker Finke

The veteran German coach defiantly rejected calls to leave his job with the Cameroon team after a disappointing World Cup, insisting he would see out his contract despite widespread public derision.

But that sentiment has switched to admiration after Cameroon's unbeaten run in the qualifiers, including a 4-1 thumping of the highly fancied Ivory Coast, which returned the country to the finals after missing the last two tournaments.

Finke was one of the first Bundesliga coaches to use African players on a regular basis in his Freiburg team.

In Germany he won admiration for his tactical innovation and was frequently sought out for his philosophical views on the game.

Key player: Vincent Aboubakar. Age: 22. Striker.

In 2010, Aboubakar was selected as an unknown locally-based teenager for Cameroon's 2010 World Cup squad but in the five years since has emerged as the replacement for the legendary Samuel Eto'o at the helm of the team's attack.

He scored four goals in the qualifiers as Cameroon moved through a difficult group with ease.

Aboubakar joined Valenciennes in France in 2010 and has since signed for FC Lorient and Porto.

Fifa world ranking January 2015: 42

How they qualified: Top placed team in Group D, ahead of the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Pierre Sylvain Abogo (Tonnerre Yaounde), Guy N'dy Assembe (Nancy), Fabrice Ondoa (Barcelona)

Defenders: Frank Bagnack (Barcelona), Henri Bedimo (Olympique Lyon), Aurelien Chedjou (Galatasaray), Cedric Djeugoue (Coton Sport), Jerome Guihoata (Valenciennes), Nicolas Nkoulou (Olympique Marseille), Ambroise Oyongo (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Patrick Ekeng (Cordoba), Enoh Eyong (Standard Liege), Franck Kom (Etoile Sahel), Raoul Loe (Osasuna), Georges Mandjeck (Erciyesspor), Stephane Mbia (Sevilla), Edgar Salli (Academica)

Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (FC Porto), Eric Choupo-Moting (Schalke 04), Franck Etoundi (FC Zurich), Leonard Kweuke (Rizespor), Benjamin Moukandjo (Stade de Reims), Clinton Njie (Olympique Lyon).