Sports
CAF Official Calls For Cameroon’s Investigation
Cameroon should be investigated for their behaviour during the Women’s World Cup defeat to England, claims CAF’s women’s football committee chair Isha Johansen.
England’s 3-0 last-16 victory on Sunday was marred by controversy, with Cameroon’s players and coaching staff enraged by several VAR calls.
Ellen White’s strike to double England’s tally was initially ruled out for offside, but the video review system confirmed the goal should stand – leading to Cameroon’s players making emotional pleas to the referee before seemingly refusing to play on.
Cameroon head coach Alain Djeumfa was also involved in pitch-side protests, with the Indomitable Lionesses’ frustration compounded when they had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside early in the second half.
Djeumfa later defended his players, claiming his side suffered a ”miscarriage of justice” following England coach Phil Neville’s assessment of Cameroon’s behaviour as ”unacceptable”.
And Johansen has called for an inquiry into Cameroon’s conduct.
“Whilst remaining proud of our African teams that participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, yesterday’s (Sunday) match between England and Cameroon reflected badly, not only on African women’s football but African football on the whole,” Johansen said in a statement.
“It is an issue which will be addressed and dealt with at the appropriate levels of governance.”
Johansen, however, insists that any investigation must also take into account the reasoning behind Cameroon’s frustration.
“Clearly when something happens like what happened, the disappointment that we saw on the pitch, we as Africans felt for Cameroon as a family, as one,” Johansen told Tide sports source.
“We take the collective blame, but at the same time, without sounding like we are condoning what happened, I think it’s all about now actually understanding why it happened.
“These are the issues that I think CAF has got to address and will address, clearly so we can avoid the same mistakes happening.”
Cameroon were not the only African nation angered by a series of VAR decisions in the last 16, with Nigeria feeling they were hard done by in their 3-0 defeat to Germany at the weekend.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.