Cameroon was initially supposed to be the host nation in 2019, before being stripped of the tournament due to delays in its preparations, with Egypt taking over. The 33rd Cup of Nations was then postponed last year because of the pandemic.
The Central African country of 27 million people was therefore determined to press on with the competition amid reports last month that leading European clubs wanted it postponed again due to Covid concerns.
This time it does go ahead, and Cameroon coach Toni Conceicao is well aware of the pressure on his side.
“It’s what they put on the table when I signed my contract: at least get to the final, do everything to win it,” Conceicao told AFP.
“We feel that the people and history of Cameroon oblige us to do it. It sets the bar pretty high, but we’re convinced we can reach these goals.”