Cameroon’s women’s national team goalkeeper Ange Bawou remained gracious in defeat after a 2-0 loss to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, acknowledging the quality of both sides and the ongoing development of her team, www.aclsports.com reports.
“Thank you very much for the privilege, I can’t take it for granted,” Bawou began. “Both teams have quality, and Nigeria and Cameroon always have a good fight. We want to see where we are in our building of a new team.”
The shot-stopper showed grace in defeat, extending warm wishes to their rivals. “For Nigeria, I want to wish them well for WAFCON 2024. Let God bless them, be with them, and may they have a good competition.”
Despite the result, Bawou highlighted the need for introspection and growth. “As a player, we always want to win. When you lose, you must caution yourself. My team, we will work on it. Maybe next time, we will win against the Super Falcons.”
Head coach Jean Baptiste Bisseck admitted tactical mistakes cost his side. “We were prepared to press them, and we tried. But two goals came from our mistakes. Don’t forget Nigeria is a strong team preparing for WAFCON, while we are looking ahead to the 2026 qualifiers with a new squad.”
Despite the defeat, Bisseck maintained a long-term perspective, emphasizing that Cameroon’s focus remains on team development and future competitions.
Speaking about the challenging conditions during the match, including the weather and the strength of the opposition, Bawou dismissed any notion of blame.
“As a professional, you don’t have to have excuses. You must adapt yourself anytime. You must always give your best,” she asserted.
When asked whether the Super Falcons were as strong as expected, she acknowledged their consistent offensive strength. “Super Falcons in attack are always good. You can’t say today they are good or bad.”
Asked about a teammate’s pre-match prediction of a 2-0 win, which ended up being the scoreline of the loss she replied, “We planned for the best, but football can surprise you. You win some, you lose some.”
With FIFA expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams, Coach Bisseck sees hope for greater African representation and a chance for teams like Cameroon to shine.
“It’s a good thing that FIFA is trying to give more opportunities to African nations,” he said. “When you saw Cameroon playing this afternoon, it was a good game. We have good teams like Nigeria, Morocco, and the rest trying to do their best. Women’s football is growing, and Cameroon will try our best to qualify.”
Though the result wasn’t in their favour, Cameroon remains focused on building a competitive squad for the future.
