The two African giants will meet for the fourth time in the history of AFCON, with the Indomitable Lions undefeated against the Atlas Lions, having won twice and drawn once. Their first-ever AFCON meeting in 1986 ended in a 1-1 group stage draw.
While Morocco topped Group A this tournament with seven points, Cameroon came second in Group F with the same number of points. The Indomitable Lions registered two wins and one draw, while Morocco also managed two wins and one draw.
Cameroon started their campaign with a 1-0 win against Gabon, drew 1-1 against African champions Ivory Coast, before winding up their group matches with a 2-1 win against Mozambique. The final win enabled them to reach the knockout stages, where they first came up against South Africa, winning 2-1.
For Morocco, they started off with a 2-0 win against Comoros, before drawing 1-1 with Mali and beating Zambia 3-0. In the Round of 16, they came up against Tanzania and scored in the 64th minute courtesy of Brahim Diaz to secure a 1-0 win.
Cameroon will try to challenge Morocco
Speaking ahead of the last eight fixture, Pagou refused to be drawn into their previous meetings, only insisting they will do everything to challenge Morocco.
"The past doesn’t guarantee the future," Pagou told reporters as quoted by Sports le 360.
"Especially in football. You can be very successful yesterday and a flop today. The matches between the two nations are a thing of the past.
"Morocco, this friendly and brotherly country, is the natural favourite. A World Cup semi-finalist. It will be a very difficult match against a very good team. We will try to challenge them.
"What characterises Cameroonians is their courage. Even when there’s a mountain to overcome. It’s the mental strength that makes the difference."
Pagou continued: "We are proud to be here. We are focused. Morocco is at the top; they are a formidable team. The challenge will not be easy, but we are ready to take it on. My players are young and want to make their mark on football history. Let’s be patient with them."
Asked whether Cameroon were ready for the task, he said: "In a competition like this, the treatment table is always busy. But there are injuries that players can manage. We also try to support them psychologically.
"We are not always satisfied. We always strive for perfection. But there are many areas to work on, both offensively and defensively. We have experienced players who have done what was necessary to reassure us.
"It’s a quarter-final against the host country, which has very strong individual players and a high-performing team. Morocco hasn't lost at home for a very long time. That’s an extra motivation. It will be a mental battle."
On the performance of forward Bryan Mbeumo, who has managed for AFCON games and is yet to score, but provided one assist, Pagou responded: "Mbeumo is the kind of player who needs to be pushed from time to time to express himself, especially in the dressing room.
"I wanted him to be a driving force in this group, and he takes on this role well. He has a leading role in the squad."
Pagou concluded: "Morocco will be better prepared to outmanoeuvre us. We’re in our own bubble, and all our players are young. They weren’t even born in 1988.
"Morocco has some truly great footballers; the 2025 African Player of the Year was Achraf Hakimi. The stadium will be full, but we’ll hear the Cameroonians’ chants more."
Regarding the refereeing, he said: "We are here to manage our players on the field; the referee is there to officiate the game.
"I can’t compare myself to Walid Regragui. I’m just starting out, and he reached a World Cup semi-final and makes African coaches proud."
A win against Morocco will take Cameroon to their eleventh semi-final.
