By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon held the Super Falcons of Nigeria to a 0-0 draw on Friday, February 23 in the third round, first leg qualifiers of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Staged at the Reunification Stadium in Douala, Cameroonians came close in the 11th minute, but Chiamaka Nnadozie prevented them from taking the lead.
Nigeria attempted to take the lead in the 27th minute, but the opportunity was wasted. However, Cameroon bounced back 12 minutes later, but a timely save from the Nigerian goalkeeper denied the Lionesses the much-awaited lead.
Coming back from the locker room, both teams pushed hard to break the deadlock. Nevertheless, the Falcons thought they had opened the scoring in the 54th minute, only for substitute Jennifer Echegini’s effort to be ruled out for offside.
In the 64th minute, Echegini set up Oshoala on the edge of the box, but her effort was well saved by the Cameroonian keeper.
The two teams will face each other again on Monday, February 26 in Abuja for the second leg. The winner between the Falcons and Lionesses will face either South Africa or Tanzania in the final qualifying round.
South Africa looks set to progress into the final round after securing a 3-0 away win against Tanzania also played on Friday.
While Cameroon is seeking to qualify for the Olympic Games after their dismal performance in 2012, the Falcons are aiming for their first Olympic qualification since the 2008 games in Beijing.
Cameroon has not appeared in the Olympic Games since the 2012 event, while the Falcons only participated in the 2008 edition. Cameroon denied the Falcons a ticket to the London 2012 games after winning on penalties in the final round of the qualifiers.
Lionesses Coach – Jean-Baptiste Bisseck reaction after the match
“For the second leg, we may not qualify here, but we can go and get it in Nigeria. The most important thing was to contain this team and always be rewarded for our attacking efforts. It didn’t work out today, but we still had plenty of opportunities. We have no regrets and acknowledge that we could have performed better. Qualification is still a long way off, so we must rely on ourselves and give our best efforts to achieve it. In the recent match against Nigeria, five players from the Guinness Super League made their debut with great intensity, which is a positive sign of progress. Building a team with a mix of experienced and younger players is a key focus for long-term success, even if immediate results may not be fully satisfying. Patience is crucial as we wait for all players to mature and reach their potential. Despite facing challenges, I was pleased to witness the dedication of the players in giving their all. The upcoming second leg will be decided by small margins, and we have identified areas to exploit in Nigeria’s defense. Despite not having all attacking options available, we are confident in our abilities. Nigeria may have home advantage in the next game, but we believe that Cameroon is a strong team and not inferior to Nigeria.”
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