Falcons draw Equatorial Guinea for final

The Falcons meet defending champions, Equatorial Guinea, in the final on Sunday. Equatorial Guinea beat hosts, South Africa, 3-1 in extra-time in the second semi-final match.

The Falcons victory over the Cameroonian Lionesses confirmed their superiority over the team they beat 4-3 via penalty shootout in the third place match of the last edition of this championship. In yesterday’s game, the Cameroonians had set out their stall from the opening whistle - shackle 7-goal heroine, Perpetua Nkwocha, but all the double-teaming was almost a misnomer in the seventh minute when Nkwocha had a close header saved on the line by the Cameroonian goal keeper. Cameroonian defender, Cathy Bou, was the leader of the defenders and she was hard going into tackles against both Desire Oparanozie and Nkwocha, serving notice to the two strikers that she intended to keep them at bay.

In the 13th minute, Oparanozie was roughly brought down by Bou on the edge of the box; and she being the last defender should have been shown a straight red card but a yellow card sufficed. Helen Ukaonu blazed the free kick wide off target. Another chance was frittered away in the 16th minute when Oparanozie failed to control in front of the goalkeeper. The Nigerian team was in control of the match but there were no dividends. The Lionesses could only test the Nigerians with long range shots from midfield as the defensive duo of Osinachi Ohale and Onome Ebi held firm against Ngoh Marlyse, who was throwing her weight around. Ebere Orji headed unto the upright when it was easier to have scored in the 25th minute. In the 26th and 27th minutes, Cameroon pressed the Nigerians back and won two consecutive corner kicks.

From the clearance of the second corner kick in the 27th minute, Stella Mbachu is hacked down by Bou, and she is shown a second yellow card. She is then sent off and the advantage was now firmly in the Falcons’ side. More pressure on the Cameroonian defence and they conceded a free kick which was then headed out by Marlyse for a corner kick. With the wind behind the ball, Helen Ukaonu floated an in-swinging corner that eluded the goal keeper and the Falcons had a deserving opener. There was two additional minutes which was utilised by the Nigerian team. Nkwocha, who had dropped deep to escape the Cameroonian defence, split the defence with a pass to Mbachu, who raced to the line and delivered a pin-point cross which Oparanozie headed into goal.

The second half had hardly taken off when the Cameroonians clawed their way back into the game. A free kick from about the centre circle by Marlyse caused confusion between Dede and her defenders, and the rebound off her attempted punch is headed into goal by Janet Njok. The pressure was immediately on the Falcons as the 10-women Lionesses swarmed forward in search of the equaliser. The Cameroonian goalkeeper however gifted the ball to Nkwocha from a goal kick in the 57th minute. She controlled beautifully before slotting home. The Cameroonians still pressed forward through No.7 and their No.9 but the shots from distance still failed to trouble Dede, who continued to look good with her dives. The game was ended as contest in the 73rd minute by Nkwocha.

A marauding run down the left by Oparanozie was rewarded with a throw in. She quickly took it to Ukaonu, who then delivered a telling cross into the box where the Cameroonian defenders were caught out. Nkwocha, on her first touch, calmly guided the ball into the net and it was effectively game over. Nkwocha now pressed forward for another goal in the 79th minute, when she took the ball past two defenders on the left, cutting into the box where she was brought down by Gaelle Engelment. The referee, Theresa Sanni, from Guinea, rightly blew for a penalty. Nkwocha dusted herself off, picked her spot to the right of the goalkeeper, and scored. She had then scored her 10th goal of the tournament, five short of her target of 15 goals.

“Goal scoring is in me,” said the 10 goal heroine. “My team mates told me I would score 15 goals, I have 10 now, and hopefully I will get the rest in the finals.” The Cameroonian coach conceded that his team were second in the races behind the Nigerian even though the sending off aided their defeat. Coach Enow Ngachu said, “Our game plan was disorganised by the red card. But I think it was a fair decision and the Nigerian team was better.”

Eucharia Uche was just happy that her team had not let down their Nigerian fans, “I am so happy that we did not let Nigeria down.” On Nkwocha’s 10 goals in the competition, the former Falcon said, “I have always said that Nkwocha is the motivator in the team and I am so happy that she is scoring all these goals.” On their desire for a final opponent between Equatorial Guinea and South Africa, Uche said, “We are not afraid of anyone as we have shown so far.” But Mbachu wants the defending champions, Equatorial Guinea. “We want revenge and to prove to them that we are better.” The final will come up at the Sinama Stadium on Sunday and the Falcons who were beaten 1-0 by Equatorial Guinea in the semi-final will be looking to reclaim the title they won on six straight occasions before that match.