Cameroon Heroine Haunted By Falcons’ Spanking

One of the star players Cameroon will be banking on for glory at this year’s Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON 2018), Madeleine Ngono Mani admits she is still haunted by the defeat by Nigeria on home soil two years ago.

However, while admitting that losing to Nigeria at home in the 2016 final hurt her and her teammates to the bone marrow, sports247.ng can report that Mani wants to make amends at Ghana 2018.

Such it is that she has set her sight on winning her country’s first title of the continental soccer showpiece at their seventh attempt.

Just like Nigeria’s Super Falcons did earlier this week, Mani will join the Indomitable Lionesses to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for a last training camp before their first group clash against Mali next Saturday.

Cameroon then play Algeria on November 20 before wrapping up the group stages with a clash against hosts Ghana three days later, ahead of which Mani says she and her colleagues are all thinking big.

The Lionesses’ all-time leading goals scorer first competed at the continental event in 2002 and, though she is now 35-year-old, the bursting forward believes her experience can spur the squad to glory.

Mani, who now plays for Albi Croix of France, was a runner-up in both 2014 and 2016, but was not part of the squad when Cameroon also lost in the 2004 final.

Cameroon are set for an enthralling tussle in Group A alongside host Ghana, Mali and Algeria, but Mani hinted that their biggest threat could come in the semi-final or final against Nigeria.

The ex-Guingamp of France attacker acknowledged: “The girls haven’t gotten over the defeat to Nigeria two years ago in the final.

“Being the most experienced and capped player in the team, my role is to lead, motivate the younger players on the pitch.

“I also need to score goals because we want to win the tournament this year.

“This year we believe with the numerous warm up games and training camps, we’ll be able to win the Nations Cup.”