Bragging rights at stake as Nigeria battles Cameroon for Paris Olympics Ticket 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

Individual clout and national pride are set to be tested to the limit on Monday, February 26, 2024 as Africa’s most successful national women’s football team, Super Falcons tackle arch-rivals Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in the Paris Olympics women’s football African qualifiers return leg match at Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Both countries played out a barren draw when they met in the first leg tie at Stade de la Reunification in Douala, Cameroon on Friday night with the host team lucky not to have lost the highly-contested encounter after Nigeria had the ball in the net but it was ruled offside by the match officials from Ugandan led by center referee, Shamirah Nabadda. The disallowed goal has been generating alot of debate in the social media platforms especially in Nigeria.

But Monday’s winner-takes-all match have presented the two teams the opportunity to prove who is the better side at the end of 90 minutes or 120 minutes should the encounter goes into extra-time and be decided by penalty shoot-out in Abuja which is a lottery as the best team on the day may eventually crash out.

Interestingly, Nigeria and Cameroon know each other well as they have clashed several times in women’s football contest dating back to June 15, 1991when the Super Falcons and Indomitable Lionesses first met in the African qualifiers final round of the the 1st FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in 1991. Two late minutes goals by vice captain Nkiru Doris Okosieme and defender Ngozi Ezeocha ensured Nigeria beat Cameroon 2-0 at National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.

The all-conquering Super Falcons (1991-2000 Set) were even more dangerous away as they went to Omnisport Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde two weeks later to thrash the Lionesses 4-0 with Okosieme scoring a brace and Rita Nwadike and then Africa’s Top Goalscorer Eucharia Uche scoring a goal each to help Nigeria qualify for the maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup final in China on 6-0 aggregate.

Since then Nigeria has inflicted many defeats on Cameroon including the 6-0 massacre at Ranch Bees stadium on Tuesday,  October 27, 1998 in the semi-final match of the maiden Africa Women Championship (AWC) renamed Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The latest defeat of Cameroon was the 1-0 loss to Nigeria in the quarter-final stage of 2022 WAFCON in Morocco .

However, after series of heartbreaking loses to Nigeria, Cameroon in October 22, 2011 also took her own pound of flesh by stopping Nigeria from qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games after the Super Falcons were eliminated on 3-4 penalties. The first leg at Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja on August 27 had ended 2-1 in favour of Nigeria and the return leg two weeks later in Yaounde also ended 1-2 as both countries were tied on 3-3 aggregate at full time.

Cameroon defeated Nigeria 4-3 in the ensuing penalty shootout which was played under poorly lit Stade de Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde, despite the protest of the Nigerian delegation that the floodlights at the stadium were not functioning. It was a match Falcons players could be excused as even fans including this reporter who made it to Yaounde to cover the match could not see the ball being kicked from the  penalty spot from the stands.

Curiously, the nine-time African champions have not been able to secure a ticket to another appearance at the women’s Olympic football tournament after 16 years. Super Falcons last participated at the women’s Olympic football event in China in 2008, when they lost by the odd goal to both Democratic Republic of Korea and Germany in Shenyang, and 1-3 to Brazil in Beijing to crash out at group stage.

After Cameroon stopped the West Africans in pre- London 2012 qualifiers, Equatorial Guinea made the journey to Rio 2016 impossible for Nigeria  while Cote d’Ivoire bumped the Falcons in the race to a place in Tokyo 2020 Games. The above timeline makes it imperative that  Falcons will not toy with the Lionesses when both teams meet on Monday in Abuja to avoid the repeat of London 2012 fiasco.

Interestingly, two Falcons senior players Asisat Oshoala and veteran defender Osinachi Ohale who saw red card under 26 minutes in Yaounde in the ill-fated pre-London 2012 return leg match are still the mainstay of the team and should be in a better position to advise their teammates that Lionesses are not easy meat to chew.

Despite having a better head-to-head record against their fierce rivals, Cameroon poses a threat hence Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum who has told journalists that he is not afraid of the Cameroonians should better set up his team well to avoid stories that touch the hearts.

Waldrum who invited only two Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) players out of 21 for the double-header against Cameroon will rely on all foreign-based professionals like he did last Friday in Douala and the way he will use them will determine if Nigeria will get the better of Cameroon in the win or burst match.

However, Coach Jean-Baptiste Bisseck is also confident of the ability of his Lionesses to turn the table against the nine-time African champions in Nigeria’s administrative capital.

Said he: “We will play on the Abuja field as if we are playing at home. Cameroon will not entertain any fear. The Lionesses are prepared to win and make progress.”

Meanwhile, for the second leg match in Abuja on Monday, CAF has appointed Namibian official Ndemugwanitha Twanyanyukwa as Center referee, with her compatriots Eveline Augustinus, Olivia Amukuu and Vistoria Shangula in the roles of Assistant referee 1, Assistant referee 2 and Fourth official respectively. Alice Wangari Kimani from Kenya will serve as Referee assessor while Christine Ziga from Ghana will be the Match Commissioner.

Elsewhere, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana with three goals advantage after bouncing Tanzania 3-0 in Dar es Salaam should have a cruise at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in the return leg tie just as Zambia’s Copper Queens put behind them the harrowing experience of watching a team mate die in camp, to shock Ghana’s Black Queens 1-0 in West Africa, and have the strength, stamina and motivation to hold their own against the visitors in Ndola on Monday.

 Also, Tunisia’s senior women’s team have a mountain to climb in Rabat, when they confront fast-improving and highly-motivated Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses who beat them 2-1 in front of their own fans on Friday. The winner on aggregate will be eligible to square up to the winner between Zambia and Ghana.

 Only two women’s national teams from Africa will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France in the summer.

SUPER FALCONS TO BATTLE CAMEROON:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia); Linda Jiwuaku (Bayelsa Queens)

Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies, Saudi Arabia); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Akudo Ogbonna (Remo Stars Ladies); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France)

Midfielders: Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA); Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain)

Forwards: Omorinsola Babajide (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (Henan FC, China); Ifeoma Onumonu (SLC Utah, USA); Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, Spain); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain) .