The Indomitable Lionesses, Cameroon’s national women’s football team, faced a disappointing loss in the first leg of the second round of qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games against Uganda, on October 26th, 2023.
The match, held at the Fufa Technical Center Stadium in Jinja, Uganda, exposed a lack of spirit, motivation, and determination from the Lionesses.
Goalkeeper Bihina’s repeated error at the start of the game proved costly once again, allowing the Ugandan Crested Cranes to take the lead in the 11th minute.
Despite a generous penalty awarded to Cameroon in the 30th minute, captain Ajara Njoya failed to convert it, leaving the score at 1-0 by halftime.
The second half witnessed a lackluster performance from head coach Jean Baptiste Bisseck’s team, struggling to find offensive solutions and displaying average ball circulation.
Their finishing was absent, resulting in a dull and uninspiring play and as feared, the Ugandan team scored a second goal in the 75th minute, leaving the final score unchanged. (2-0) in favour of Uganda.
Note, the defeat poses a challenging situation for Ajara and her teammates. In the upcoming return match on October 31st in Cameroon, the Lionesses must secure a victory with a margin of more than two goals in order to keep their hopes alive in the qualification tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Having already been eliminated from the qualifiers of the Morocco2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, another disqualification would be a bitter pill to swallow for Cameroon’s Indomptable Lionnesses, as it would not only place them in a delicate position but also raise doubts about their status as the African football giants that they are.
FRU William