What to expect in the AFCON quarterfinals as the competition intensifies

As the Africa Cup of Nations goes into the last 8 – starting with hotly tipped hosts Cameroon taking on giant-killers Gambia on Saturday – FRANCE 24 gives a preview of the football action to come.

Cameroon v Gambia

Hosts Cameroon installed themselves as competition favourites with a string of impressive victories, most notably the 4-1 thumping of Ethiopia in the group stage that lit up a previously goal-shy tournament.

Their greatest asset is the red-hot striker Vincent Aboubakar – by far the Africa Cup of Nations’ top goal scorer so far, with six goals to his name from four appearances. Aboubakar’s skilful positioning and clinical finishing will make him a menace to Gambia’s defenders.

Aboubakar’s strike partner Karl Toko-Ekambi is tied for second on the list of top goal scorers at the competition, having found the back of the net three times in four appearances. His creativity and strong teamwork with Aboubakar make him dangerous even when he isn’t firing in shots.

>> Vincent Aboubakar: Cameroon’s goalscoring powerhouse taking football by storm

They also benefit from playing on home territory – with Cameroonian fans creating an electric atmosphere at their team’s matches, intimidating their opponents.

Yet Cameroon have shown the odd moment of sloppy defending, especially in their final group stage match against Cape Verde, who exploited some missteps to equalise. Gambia are skilled at that – as they showed in their giant-killing victories over Tunsia then Guinea, with striker Musa Barrow demonstrating particular talent for capitalising on opponents’ errors.

So, while Cameroon go into the match as overwhelming favourites, an upset is on the cards.

Tunisia v Burkina Faso

Tunisia went into the Africa Cup of Nations as