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Africa football prides itself with stars and talent and in Cameroun, the ladies came out boldly and admiringly to strutt their stuss, exhibiting their God-given talent and honed skill.
Africa football prides itself with stars and talent and in Cameroun, the ladies came out boldly and admiringly to strutt their stuss, exhibiting their God-given talent and honed skill.

Cameroun raises the bar in women's football

Another Africa Women's Championship (AWC) is over as the curtains were drawn on the 2016 edition at the Camerounian capital of Yaounde last week Saturday, with a befitting final between hosts, Cameroun and defending champions, Nigeria, incidentally, great rivals and giants of the game.

In the end, the Super Falcons of Nigeria proved their mettle as African Champions, winning the title for an unprecedented eighth time, with Cameroun putting on one of the best performances as hosts, in terms of organisation.

There was nothing indicative that it was a women's game final as the euphoria, the fans and the great celebration was a well deserving final bow to three weeks of enthralling and quality football which saw Africa's best on display.

Africa football prides itself with stars and talent and in Cameroun, the ladies came out boldly and admiringly to strutt their stuss, exhibiting their God-given talent and honed skill.

In the end Arsenal's Asisat Oshoala, best player for the 2014 event, won the Top Scorer's Award with six goals, with Cameroun's Gabrielle Onguene, cast in the mould of Brazil's Marta in skill and speed, was adjudged the tournament’s best that was however, no consolation for missing out on the ultimate team glory.

Eleven others, including Ghana's Elizabeth Addo, Linda Eshun were named in the Best XI side, with Portia Boakye and defender Janet Egyir getting on the sub list.

Given the efforts, energy and resources Cameroun had put in to make the competition one of tbe best organised since its inception in 1998, Cameroun deserved to win, at least to reward their loyal fans whose attendance no doubt has taken women's football support to another level.

Unfortunately, that was not to be as an 84th minute goal from Desire Oparanozie sealed another victory for the Falcons, leaving the Camerounians to rue over how they blew such a golden chance.

Cameroun has not hosted an Africa competition for a while and so they wanted to use this competition to show the world what it was capable of doing.

Having also been awarded the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Cameroun used the competition as a dress rehearsal for that grand men's competition and they left no one in doubt that they are indeed ready for the bigger event, comparatively.

If today, for one reason or the other Gabon, hosts of AFCON 2017, are unable to host the event, Cameroun can easily step in to save the situation without feeling the stress just as Equatorial Guinea did for the 2015 Equatorial Guinea when original hosts, Morocco, pulled out due to concerns over Ebola.

Without tagging them as biased, Camerounians supported their team all the way through from start to end, showing up in their numbers at every of their matches while they showed their love for the game by also showing their guests some loving, filling the stands at the Limbe Stadium.

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