Host Cameroon battle into AWCON 2016 finals

Feudijo Raissa scored the only goal of the match as Cameroon beat Ghana in the semi-finals of the Africa Women Cup of Nations on Tuesday.

In front of a sold out crowd at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé, Cameroon were the brighter of the two sides throughout the match, but came up against a mean Ghana defense that wasn’t going to hand them the berth in the final without a fight.

With the midfield areas actively contested, Cameroon had the majority of possession in the first 20 minutes, although the hosts weren’t able to create any real clear-cut chances against a resolute Ghana defense.

In the 26th minute, the Lionesses came close to breaking the deadlock, but Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene’s effort was narrowly off-target and cannoned off the woodwork.

Cameroon continued to dominate proceedings in the first half, with Onguene in particular a constant threat.

The hosts had another chance five minutes before the interval, but goalkeeper Ama Asantewaa responded just in time to smother the loose ball in the Ghana box.

The trend of Cameroon dominating possession with Ghana defending deep continued after the half-time break.

On the hour mark, following a scramble in the Ghana box, Cameroon thought they had found the opener, but their celebrations were cut short after the referee spotted an infringement.

With 30 minutes of regulation time left, there was a marked increase in the tempo at which the match was played, and while there were several periods of play where the ball moved from end to end within a few seconds, Cameroon continued to shade matters.

As the prospect of extra time and penalties loomed large, Cameroon eventually found the goal their performance arguably deserved in the 72nd minute.

Feudijo Raissa was the quickest to react following another mad scramble in the Ghana box and made no mistake with her finish from close range.

With 10 minutes left, Ghana’s chances of getting back into the match was dealt a blow when Asantewaa suffered an unknown injury and was substituted by Fafali Dumahisi after being stretchered off the field.

In the closing stages of the match, the Black Queens tried their best to carve open a genuine chance, but were unable to find their forwards in an advanced areas.

Cameroon will take on the winners of the match between Nigeria and South Africa, which takes place later on Tuesday.