Anoma reveals secret Egypt pact before Womé’s penalty broke Cameroon’s World Cup dream

By Angu Lesley

Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon

Former Côte d’Ivoire Football Federation president Jacques Anoma has revealed details of a conversation with an Egyptian football official ahead of the decisive 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cameroon, shedding new light on the dramatic afternoon when Pierre Womé missed a late penalty that ended the Indomitable Lions’ hopes of reaching Germany.

Anoma says an Egyptian Football Federation vice-president assured him that Egypt would give everything in their final qualifier against Cameroon and would not manipulate the result, leaving Côte d’Ivoire to concentrate on beating Sudan in Khartoum. His account offers a fascinating perspective on one of the most painful moments in Cameroonian football history, when the Lions came within a penalty of qualification only to see their World Cup dream collapse in the closing moments.

The race for Germany 2006 had gone down to the wire, with Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire battling for the sole qualifying ticket from their group. Cameroon appeared to have strengthened their position with a memorable 3-2 victory over the Elephants in Abidjan on September 4, 2005, when Pierre Achille Webo scored all three goals. Yet the Ivorians remained hopeful, knowing that the final round could still change everything.

According to Anoma, his confidence was reinforced during a FIFA General Assembly in Marrakech, where he was accompanied by Idriss Diallo and the late Sory Diabaté. It was there that the Egyptian official approached him with an assurance that Côte d’Ivoire still had a chance of reaching the World Cup. Anoma recalled the official telling him: “President, I think the GOOD LORD is just. We will do the work in Cameroon and it is you who deserve to go to the World Cup. You have led the race until the penultimate matchday. It would therefore be a little unfair if you did not qualify.”

Anoma said he responded cautiously, acknowledging that football could produce unexpected outcomes. The Egyptian official, however, reportedly urged him to focus on the match in Khartoum, promising that Egypt would play to win in Yaoundé. “Do your work in Khartoum. On our side, we will not cheat in Cameroon. We will play to the fullest and, afterwards, may the will of the GOOD LORD be done,” Anoma recalled him saying.

On October 8, 2005, Côte d’Ivoire did their part, defeating Sudan 3-1 in Khartoum. Their qualification hopes then depended on what happened in Yaoundé, where Cameroon hosted Egypt knowing that victory would secure their place at the World Cup. The Lions took the lead through Rodolphe Douala, but Egypt fought back, with Mohamed Shawky equalising. As the afternoon progressed towards its decisive moments, Cameroon were left needing a late breakthrough to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Then came the penalty. Deep into stoppage time, Cameroon were awarded a spot-kick, placing their World Cup destiny in the hands of Pierre Womé. Anoma, who says he was watching from the stands in Khartoum alongside members of the Confederation of African Football, admitted that he reacted angrily when the referee pointed to the spot. “I was in a terrible rage. At that moment, I called the Cameroonians all sorts of names because of that penalty,” he recalled.

Womé’s effort struck the post and went wide. The miss proved decisive: Cameroon were held to a 1-1 draw, while Côte d’Ivoire finished top of the group with 22 points, one ahead of the Indomitable Lions. The Elephants secured their first-ever World Cup appearance, while Cameroon were left to contemplate a devastating elimination on home soil.

Anoma’s recollection captures the extraordinary contrast between the two camps that afternoon. For Cameroon, the missed penalty became a symbol of a qualification campaign that slipped away at the final hurdle. For Côte d’Ivoire, it was the moment a long-awaited dream became reality. Reflecting on the outcome, Anoma said: “Finally, the GOOD LORD was just, since the penalty was missed.”

His account does not establish a formal agreement between the two federations, but it does reveal the assurance he says he received from Egypt before the decisive fixtures. For Cameroonian supporters, it adds another striking detail to the afternoon of October 8, 2005 — when one missed penalty changed the World Cup destinies of two football nations.