By Oni LADONETTE
Journalist Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon has rolled out the red carpet treatment for its Indomitable Lionesses, dispatching a high-powered government delegation to Rabat ahead of Sunday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final against surprise package Malawi.
Leading the charge is Prime Minister and Head of Government Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, who travels to Morocco as the personal representative of President Paul Biya. He’s flanked by Minister of Sports and Physical Education Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi and Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family Professor Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa, alongside a raft of other senior officials.
Also making the trip is FECAFOOT’s president Samuel Eto’o, who has extended the invitation to all 12 presidents of the Guinness Super League clubs.
The country is back in a WAFCON final for the first time in a decade, having last reached the summit in 2016, when they were beaten 1-0 by old rivals Nigeria in front of a heartbroken home crowd in Yaoundé. This is now the fourth final appearance in the Lionesses’ history after 2004, 2014 and that painful 2016 defeat, and on all three previous occasions, it was Nigeria standing in the way, and Nigeria lifting the trophy.
This time, for the first time, the Super Falcons aren’t the opponent. That hoodoo is no longer the story, Malawi are.Coach Valentine Nguele’s side have earned their place in some style.
They opened Group D with a battling 2-1 win over Mali, followed up with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ghana, and rounded off their pool campaign with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde to finish unbeaten. The knockout stages, though, is where Cameroon truly announced themselves. A disciplined, backs-to-the-wall 1-0 win over defending champions Nigeria in the quarter-finals was followed by a nerveless 3-1 penalty shoot-out triumph over hosts Morocco after a goalless 120 minutes in Rabat, goalkeeper Michaely Bihina the hero between the sticks.
Standing between Cameroon and a maiden continental crown are debutants Malawi, who have been the story of the tournament. The Scorchers dispatched Algeria 3-1 in their semi-final, with sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga doing the damage, Tabitha bagging a brace either side of the break, Temwa adding the third to send Malawi into their first-ever WAFCON final at the first time of asking.
It sets up a mouth-watering finale: continental royalty chasing a first title against continental newcomers with nothing to lose.
Kick-off at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat is 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday, 16 August and all of Cameroon will be watching, delegation and diaspora alike, hoping the Lionesses finally end the long wait for glory.
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