Bryan Mbeumo AFCON 2025: Golden Boot Dark Horse?

With AFCON 2025 fast approaching, attention is turning not only to the big favourites but to the players capable of lighting up the tournament. While Cameroon enter the competition with more questions than answers, one name consistently appears in early conversations around impact players and potential top scorers: Bryan Mbeumo, now one of the Premier League’s most dynamic forwards.

After a stunning 2024–25 season and a high-profile move to Manchester United, Mbeumo arrives at AFCON with the kind of confidence and form that often translates beautifully into tournament football. But is he genuinely ready to carry Cameroon and push for something as ambitious as the Golden Boot?

After his breakout Premier League season and Cameroon’s growing expectations, many analysts have been looking at the wider AFCON picture — including how North African teams might shape the tournament rhythm. Some of the most balanced and independent observations on Cameroon’s squad strength and tournament outlook come from BookmakersCameroun.com, an impartial reviewer of paris en ligne en Cameroun that also provides broader context on North African football performance.

Let’s take a closer, more grounded look.

Mbeumo’s Rise: From Brentford Breakout to Premier League Heavyweight

Few players in the Premier League improved as dramatically in the last two seasons as Bryan Mbeumo. His standout year at Brentford — 20 league goals, consistent end product, and elite work rate — earned him a £65m switch to Manchester United in the summer of 2025. That figure alone signals the level he’s reached: no longer an underrated winger, but a fully fledged top-tier attacker.

At United, he’s become the type of forward who stretches defences, presses intelligently, and attacks the half-spaces with real purpose. His finishing has sharpened, his decision-making has matured, and his overall contribution reflects a player entering his prime.

This version of Mbeumo — more complete, more ruthless, more confident — is exactly what Cameroon have long needed.

Cameroon’s Landscape at AFCON 2025: A Tough Group and High Expectations

Cameroon’s AFCON 2025 journey begins in one of the toughest groups of the tournament. Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Mozambique — it doesn’t get much more complicated.

The problem isn’t just the difficulty of the fixtures. It’s the expectation. Cameroon have five continental titles, yet recent tournament cycles have been disappointing. A Round of 16 exit in 2023, a semi-final loss in 2021, and a failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup have created an uncomfortable narrative: a nation with big talent but inconsistent identity.

New Belgian coach Marc Brys has worked to change that. His 4-3-3 system — controlled possession, quick passing patterns, defined roles — suits Mbeumo perfectly. It allows him to act as an inverted winger or inside forward, drifting inside to combine and shoot, while also giving him license to run behind the defence.

Whether Cameroon thrive or struggles in this group, one thing is clear: Mbeumo will be at the centre of everything they do going forward.

Why Mbeumo Could Be a Genuine Golden Boot Contender

1. He’s entering the tournament in peak form

Players who arrive off strong club seasons tend to start fast at AFCON. Mbeumo is exactly that profile: sharp, confident, and used to performing under pressure.

2. His role under Brys maximises his strengths

He’ll get touches in dangerous areas, cut inside onto his stronger foot, and be allowed to attack the box often. Cameroon’s system funnels chances into the channels he thrives in.

3. He’s a natural “big moment” player

At Brentford and now at United, he has consistently stepped up in high-intensity matches. AFCON knockout football rewards exactly this mentality.

4. Cameroon will rely on him heavily

Unlike teams with three or four attacking stars, Cameroon’s forward line is built around him. He will take free-kicks, penalties (if assigned), and most transitional attacks will involve him.

5. The Golden Boot is often won with 3–5 goals

AFCON is not a tournament with 7–8 goal winners.
A brace in the group stage + one or two knockout contributions could genuinely make him a contender.

The Challenges Standing in His Way

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Mbeumo’s Golden Boot hopes face real obstacles:

1. Cameroon’s tough group may limit early scoring chances

Scoring against Côte d’Ivoire is never easy. Gabon are unpredictable. Mozambique have improved defensively. One slow group-stage match can quickly derail Golden Boot ambitions.

2. Cameroon’s chance creation is inconsistent

Mbeumo is clinical, but he can’t score without service. Cameroon still lack a fully settled midfield partnership, and their attacking patterns can sometimes look improvised rather than intentional.

3. The competition is fierce

Top-tier forwards such as Victor Osimhen, Mohamed Salah, Sébastien Haller, Youssef En-Nesyri and others all have strong claims. Many of them play on teams that may reach deeper into the tournament, giving them more matches to score in.

4. Cameroon needs to go far for him to have a real shot

Historically, Golden Boot winners tend to reach at least the semi-finals. If Cameroon exit early, the race ends prematurely.

So… Can He Actually Win It?

Yes — Bryan Mbeumo has all the tools to challenge for the Golden Boot, but Cameroon’s collective performance will decide his fate.

If Cameroon progress deep into the tournament, if the midfield provides stability, and if Mbeumo maintains his Premier League-level sharpness, then he belongs firmly in the conversation. If not, he may end up as one of the tournament’s best performers… without the numbers to show for it. Either way, he enters AFCON 2025 as one of the most watchable attackers in the competition — and certainly as Cameroon’s biggest hope.