Cameroon (0)1
Ngo 83
South Africa 0
Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Cameroon - After putting on a brave fight in an emotionally charged match that was war just without the weapons, Banyana Banyana were muscled off what could have been an impressive point.
Genevieve Ngo pounced on a loose ball after Gaelle Enganamouit floored goalkeeper Andile Dlamini. Instead of awarding a foul, Togolese referee Aissata Ameyo Amegee allowed play to continue and pointed to the centre after Ngo squeezed the ball into the back of the net.
That goal and subsequent defeat puts Banyana in an awkward position in their attempt to make it out of Group A in the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWC) campaign.
Banyana’s battered bodies sprawled all over this venue as the hosts muscled their way into the last four with a game to spare. This battle intensified on Monday after Thembi Kgatlana said nothing would be sweeter than beating Cameroon in front of their home crowd.
Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene said she and her teammates would respond with their feet and not their mouths when asked what she thinks of Kgatlana’s comments. Onguene also responded with her eyes. She was among those who side-eyed Banyana when they entered the field for the pitch inspection, while the Indomitable Lionesses were making their way off it.
The officials sent Banyana back just before they did much and they didn’t bother to wait for explanation on why they couldn’t inspect the entire pitch.
Instead, they sang their way into the pitch for their warm up moments later. Their voices went unchallenged in the stands. But as soon as the hosts entered, the stadium went crazy.
That heated build-up inevitably turned this match into a bruising encounter where Cameroon flexed their physical prowls. Andisiwe Mgcoyi matched them in that regard, bulldozing her way past the hosts’ defenders and troubling them with her height.
The only thing that stopped her was goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom’s punch, giving Mgcoyi a blue-eye right after her looping header dropped on the roof of the posts.
Mgcoyi returned from that collision with Ndom’s fist more determined. Her fighting spirit embodied Banyana’s performance, they didn’t allow the Indomitable Lionesses to do as they pleased. Kgatlana’s words that it would be war proved prophetic. She went a step further than just talk a good game but also tormented Cameroon with her skills and pace but more often than not her crosses didn’t reach the intended target.
Banyana’s resilience along with Bambanani Mbane’s calmness at the back frustrated their opponents. The side held an impromptu meeting at halftime after the first 45 minutes ended without either side finding the back of the net.
The fans, who filled the stadium, also grew frustrated the longer the match stayed goalless with Banyana refusing to budge. Banyana’s masseur worked overtime on Tuesday night, nursing their battered bodies. Dlamini received a lot of attention during the match, being helped to stretch off cramps.
Those sessions were worth it when she fully stretched herself for an important touch that took the ball away from Onguene’s path. That touch, just inches, could be a defining moment in her career as she further proved that she can now move away from the shadow of being the deputy and make the No. 1 jersey her own.
But her brilliance ended up being overshadowed by a goal that shouldn’t have stood.
* Njabulo Ngidi is in Cameroon courtesy of Sasol
@extrastrongsa
Independent Media