Ghana’s Black Queens were beaten 1-0 by Cameroon in their second group match at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite a determined second-half performance that saw them come close to rescuing a point.
Cameroon took the lead in the 19th minute when Ghana defender Benedicte Simon was penalised for handball inside the penalty area.
Ngah Manga took responsibility for the resulting penalty and converted calmly to put the Indomitable Lionesses in front.
Ghana responded to falling behind by creating opportunities of their own and came close to an equaliser before half-time.
Doris Boaduwaa was presented with a chance after Ghana put together a well-worked attacking move. However, her attempt did not have enough power to trouble the Cameroonian goalkeeper, allowing Cameroon to take their advantage into the break.
The Black Queens returned for the second half with greater attacking intent and began to dominate possession as they looked for a way back into the match.
Ghana increased the pressure on the Cameroonian defence and created their clearest opening shortly after the hour mark.
Evelyn Badu was on the end of a low delivery from Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, but she was unable to keep her close-range effort on target.
That miss proved costly as Ghana continued to search for an equaliser.
The Black Queens thought they had finally drawn level in the 80th minute when Badu found the net from inside the penalty area.
However, Ghana’s celebrations were quickly ended when the referee ruled the goal out, meaning Cameroon retained their narrow advantage.
Ghana continued to push forward during the closing stages as they attempted to avoid defeat.
The pressure was relentless, but Cameroon defended resolutely and managed to protect their lead until the final whistle.
The result leaves the Black Queens to rue missed opportunities after a match in which their second-half display showed considerable determination.
Cameroon had taken advantage of the early penalty opportunity and were able to withstand Ghana’s response, particularly during a period of sustained pressure after the interval.
For Ghana, the defeat was particularly frustrating because their performance improved significantly in the second half. They enjoyed more possession, pushed the Cameroonian defence deeper and created openings, but were unable to turn their pressure into a goal.
Badu’s disallowed effort was the closest Ghana came to finding the equaliser after the break, while Boaduwaa had earlier been unable to capitalise on her opportunity before half-time.
Cameroon ultimately held on for all three points, with Manga’s penalty in the first half proving decisive.
The Black Queens will now reflect on a game in which their attacking pressure increased as the match progressed, but their failure to convert their chances left them without a reward.
Their second-half effort gave them opportunities to change the outcome, but Cameroon remained organised enough to preserve their 1-0 lead and claim victory.
