Head coach of Cameroon, Joseph Brian Ndoko says his wards deserve better following their 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) semi final loss to arch rivals Nigeria on Tuesday night.
It was a game that Cameroon clearly dominated but the Indomitable Lionesses were defeated 4-2 on penalties after the match failed to produce a winner in 120 minutes.
“It was a very difficult match and I think we deserved better in the regulation time because we had a lot of possession and created more chances than in our previous games. In football, once it goes to penalties, there’s little you can do because the onus now falls on the players to reprint all that we have learnt about it and keep their composure to score.”
“Indeed, we planned for revenge like I said yesterday (Monday), but we couldn’t and once again we got beaten by Nigeria. It will be very difficult to talk to the girls tonight (Tuesday) because they are all crying in the dressing room and I know it will continue to the hotel. Who knows, maybe I will join them too in my room because the defeat hurts.
‘However we still take consolation in the fact that we are still in the chase to get the only remaining ticket left for the Women’s World Cup. We will shake off the result hopefully by tomorrow (Wednesday) and pick ourselves up and prepare well for the third and fourth place match on Friday against whichever team.”
“But I must add that I am proud of my team. They played to instructions and gave it their all. We were just unfortunate at the penalty shootout yet again.”
Cameroon will face Mali in the third place to determine who picks the third and final ticket to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
