Lionesses take refuge in ‘Emphasa moto’

The Indomitable Lionesses are presently camping at the Mount Cameroon Sporting Centre in Liongo, Buea, Fako Division of the Southwest Region.

The 27 players, marshalled by Coach Enow Ngatchou, are fine-tuning strategies and acclamatising themselves with the cold climate of Buea, ahead of their 2014 Female African Cup of Nations, to be hosted in Windhoek, Namibia.

Talking to reporters on August 14, during the Southwest Governor’s paid a courtesy visit to the players, Coach Enow Ngatchou said, besides choosing Buea for its cold climatic condition that is similar to that of the host country, they equally wanted to encourage English-speaking girls to develop interest in football.

“Camping in Buea for two weeks with these players will provide them the opportunity to interact with the general public, this will go a long way to encourage other girls, especially the English-speaking girls, to develop interest in football,” Enow Ngatchou stated.

The Coach however decried the general apathy by Anglophones in the game. “Football is not just a sport, but a profession and a way of life.

Girls in this part of the country need to start developing interest in the game, because, for some years now, only two Anglophones teams; Queen Victoria of Limbe and Gentle Ladies of Bamenda, have been taking part in the female domestic championship and most often these two teams performed poorly because of general female apathy in football in this part of the country. We need to step up our game” the Coach said.

The Lionesses’ trainer assured Governor Okalia Bilai that his female infantry are working hard to defend the national colours of Cameroon in a fortnight in Windhoek, Namibia.

“Our main objective is not only to play the finals of this year’s competition, but to also qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada and equally to build a formidable team for the 2016 AFCON Games, which will be hosted by Cameroon,” Enow Ngatchou asserted.

Enow Ngatchou, who is also the Coach of Yong Sport Academy of Bamenda, thanked the population of the Southwest Region for the hospitality shown to him and his team and for always coming out to support the players during their training sessions. This support, the Coach said, will be a moral booster to the players each time they take to the green turf in Windhoek, bearing in mind that the entire nation is watching.

Governor Okalia Bilai exhorted the players to maintain the cohesion and team spirit which they have been building throughout their stay in Buea.

According to him, it is only through this collective effort that they can succeed in their expedition. Okalia said there was no need emphasising on the important role football plays in Cameroon and the love Cameroonians attach to the game.

He prayed that the god of Mount Fako (‘Ephasa Moto’) under whom the players have taken refuge, should guide them as they defend the national colours of Cameroon.

The Captain of the team, Gabrielle Oguene, thanked the Team Manager and the Coach for choosing Buea for their camping. Though she complained of the very cold climatic conditions in Buea, she, nonetheless, admitted that Buea has given them a foretaste of what they will face in Windhoek and that they are ready for the assignment.