All good things come to an end and for Cameroon, Saturday was that day.
An early strike (12′) by Wang Shanshan put an end to Cameroon’s most excellent World Cup adventure.
The game was hard fought on both sides with possession split right down the middle. There were so many chances on both sides. China had 9 shots/1 on target (which, frankly, is all you need) to Cameroon’s 20/4.
And how’s that artificial turf treating you Lou Jiahui? Yeah, that’s what I thought. OUCH. And FUCK YOU FIFA.
Match Highlights
The hardest part was the end – joy and sadness in equal measures.
Player of the match: Guixin Ren (China PR)
Quotes
Cameroon coach, Enow Ngachu
It was a bad day for the Cameroon national team. We met a very good side, and we expected that. They used their experience to beat us and the Chinese team can create surprises in the future. This was a learning experience as our first appearance. We need to develop women’s football. We need good organisation and we also need to create as many clubs as possible. The day we prepare and organise very well, I think an African nation will one day win the World Cup. Some of players are very talented which is why they play outside of Africa. We just hope that with our performance many things will change things in Cameroon and in Africa.China PR assistant coach, Weiwei Chang
All the players were wonderful, and put on a spectacular, resilient and brave performance. They fought like warriors for over 90 minutes and want to thank them all. In the second half we strengthened the wide areas to put pressure on Cameroon. Defence is the job of 11 players at times and was impressive, but our attack still needs some work. We [the coaches] believe in our players and they have confidence and motivation. We have made tremendous improvement in the past two or three years. This is a young squad full of energy which can reach higher goals in the future.
The fans are a huge part of the World Cup experience and both sides had enthusiastic supporters.
Watishista hopechaser was at the match and shared some videos of the Cameroon fans.
https://instagram.com/p/4LXalZCBkj
https://instagram.com/p/4LUsG9CBvx
She also reports that when China did their walkabout after the match, the Cameroon fans enthusiastically applauded them. And that, folks, is how you do it. Class!
It’s hard to say goodbye to great competitors like Cameroon, but I think they can go home with their heads held high. Their debut in the Women’s World Cup was terrific. They were exciting to watch and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow.
China next faces the United States.
– Lozil
Of Headbands and Heartbreak
watishistacorrespondents
The Cameroon fans, worth every penny of admission (ok, my hospitality tix were comped but still). They cheer for all the players after the matches, regardless of the team. Like Lozil said, Class!