The Egyptians take on South Africa on Friday in the last game of their Group A which also includes Zimbabwe which Egypt was scheduled to meet on Tuesday. The Cleopatras had lost to the hosts Cameroon who got off their campaign on a winning note thanks to a 2-0 win over Egypt in the tournament opener on Saturday at a packed Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde. Gabrielle Onguene Aboudi and captain Christine Manie scored in either half to give ‘Les Lionnes' the perfect start they needed in front of a capacity crowd which included President Paul Biya. The victory did not come on a silver platter as the host had to sweat for the maximum points in the Group A against an Egyptian side that were unperturbed by the partisan crowd. Aboudi, one of many foreign-based players in the Cameroon squad, headed the host into the lead on 25 minutes before Manie converted a penalty on 72 minutes to wrap up the victory. In the other Group A match, Southern African neighbours South Africa and Zimbabwe settled for a barren draw. The hosts were scheduled to play South Africa next on 22 November in Yaounde (after Al-Ahram Weekly went to print) then Zimbabwe later in the last match of the group. Group B comprises Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Mali. Following the Egypt and Cameroon match, Cameroonian head coach Enow Ngach told reporters, "It's always good to win a game. Even as the tournament's start is always tough, the main thing has been done. We have three points. Egypt played well and they posed a lot of difficulties for us. We saw a great team that knows how to play en bloc. It must be noted said that the teams that have qualified are the best in Africa. We must not forget that Egypt eliminated Cote d'Ivoire which is a great football country on the continent as far as women's football is concerned. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time and here we are. When we learned that Cameroon will host the 10th edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, we realised that this will be our biggest challenge. We must do everything in order not to disappoint our fans, so that we can celebrate together come 3 December 2016. In 2012, Cameroon was third; in 2014, we were second, so in 2016 we must win this competition. "The Lionesses are buoyed up and we are trying to ensure that there is no pressure on them. We motivate them all the time and the players are ready. We have Gaëlle Enganamouit who has been with us since Thursday. She is a key player and we are happy to have her. "We played a series of friendly matches here in Yaounde to have an idea of the kind of pressure to expect. We kept telling the girls their stadium would be packed. Pressure is on our side, because we have to win all our matches. Like us, Egypt is a team that has also prepared well, playing in some friendly games. Also, they eliminated Cote d'Ivoire. They are a great team that deserves our respect, but I can assure you that we will have the final say." Team captain Christine Manie also reacted at the post match press conference. "The state of mind of the Cameroonian team is very good. My colleagues are aware of the stakes in this competition which is taking place on our home soil. Our preparation went well. "We worked hard during these long months, knowing that this day will come. It is true that 24 hours before the opening match there is some kind of pressure. "We played four matches in the qualifiers including the victory over Cote d'Ivoire in the final round," Egypt's head coach Mustafa Mohamed said. "We will take it one game at a time and will see what happens. Every team here in this tournament has the same objective of winning the trophy. "We have some players playing abroad but they are in colleges and not professionals. However, we want them to gain the experience." Mohamed congratulated the hosts on their victory. “I congratulate Cameroon who played well and had a good game. My player gave the best of themselves to limit the damage. I never thought they could do what they did this afternoon. Cameroon is an experienced team that plays with many professionals." Samia Adam, the Egyptian team captain, also had her say in the tournament. "Every team has its style of play. We have been preparing very well the last few months and it has given us the confidence to win matches. "Women's football is evolving in Egypt and our participation in this tournament will help to heighten awareness. Egypt has a successful men's football team and it is our wish the women will reach that level soon," Adam said. The Egyptians are making their second appearance at the Women's Nations Cup with the first appearance at the inaugural event in Nigeria in 1998. The event has been held nine times with 19 African countries all together taking part in the eight-team competition. Nigeria takes the lead with seven titles and two for Equatorial Guinea. The Nigerians have featured in nine semi-finals whereas South Africa and Ghana have been three times finalists. Cameroon and South Africa have featured in every edition. The tournament runs through to 3 December with two teams from each group qualifying to the semi-finals and the winners making it to the final.
