Hugo Broos insists Cameroon must forget past glories and instead focus attentions on ending the Indomitable Lions' long wait for Africa Cup of Nations glory.
Not since 2002, when it beat Senegal in the final, has Cameroon – who faces Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday in its second Group A game – been crowned AFCON champions.
That marked the fourth time – and second AFCON tournament in succession – that Cameroon has won the competition, but its recent record has been poor. It crashed out in the group stages on its last attempt in 2015, while failing to qualify in 2012 and 2013.
Burkina Faso pegged Broos' men back in their first game to earn a 1-1 draw, but a place in the quarterfinals remains the minimum target for the Belgian.
"There are 16 teams who can win the Nations Cup and that makes it a very difficult assignment," Broos told reporters.
"This is the error that Cameroon have made over the last years, they are still speaking about 20 years ago when they went on the field and scored twice in the first half and had the games sewn up.
"The history of the Nations Cup always throws up surprises. There is no game you go into with the feeling you can win it.
"We want to get the quarter-finals and then we will see what we can do from there. My team is ready. I know they are an ambitious group and seeking to restore the history that Cameroon had in this competition before."
Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, recorded a 1-1 draw against hosts Gabon on its AFCON debut.
A Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike had them trailing 1-0, but Juary Soares netted a last-minute equaliser to boost its chances of reaching the knockout stages.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cameroon – Clinton N'Jie
The 23-year-old appeared to be on his way to stardom when he earned himself a move to Tottenham in 2015 after an impressive season with Lyon, but he struggled to make an impact in the Premier League and has since returned to Ligue 1, on loan at Marseille.
N'Jie is slowly on his way back and he will be looking to lead the way for Cameroon in order to further cement his reputation as one of his country's best forwards.
The winger was substituted in Cameroon's draw with Burkina Faso and will be fired up to deliver versus Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau - Toni Silva
Silva caught the eye in Guinea-Bissau's hard-fought 1-1 draw with Gabon on matchday one, causing the hosts all kind of trouble with his clever runs in behind the defence. He was unfortunate not to find the net after one of those runs and will be hoping to make amends.
KEY OPTA STATS
- Cameroon is making its 18th appearance in the tournament. It has won it four times (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002), only Egypt have been more successful (seven trophies)
- Cameroon was victorious in its only two previous encounters with Guinea-Bissau, winning 1-0 in both of their 2013 AFCON qualifiers
- Juary Soares' 90th minute equaliser for Guinea-Bissau against Gabon came from his only shot in the game
- Cameroon is currently enduring a six-game winless run in the Africa Cup of Nations (drawing four, losing two)
- Guinea-Bissau's last two goals have come in the 90th minute (Toni Silva v Zambia, June 2016, Juary Soares versus Gabon)
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