.By Eniola Olatunji
…Hosts Columbia Pips Mexico by a Lone goal to top Group A.
Cameroon on Saturday morning defeated Australia 2-0 in Bogota in group A with goals from Achta Njoya in 45+4th she got a Daha connect and sleekly scored the second goal in the 61st minute which was her 3rd goal in the tournament having gotten a brace against Mexico.
Ref Natalie Simon of USA was eagle eyed to ensure the match was under control as Cameroon was desperate to get more goals going physical.
To get to the last group matches, Australia lost her first two matches the same way 0-2 to Columbia and 0-2 to Mexico. She on 9th of March 2024 beat Chinese Taipel 3-0; lost gallantly 1-5 to Japan on 13th March 2024; on 16th March 2024 beat Republic of Korea 1-0 but on 23rd of August 2024 she lost 1-2 to Nigeria. In July 2024 Australia played New Zealand twice with both matches ending 1-1 draw.
Cameroon played 2-2 with Mexico and lost 0-1 to hosts Columbia in earlier matches of the group. She on 21st May 2023 beat Panama 3-1; defeated Kenya 3-2 on 17th November 2024; and played 1-1 with Venezuela before moving to Columbia for the finals
The Young Matildas of Australia and the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon has never met at any competition and the Cameroonians are in the tournament finals for the first time.
Australia are in their 5th appearances but never went past the quarterfinal stages twice at the opening edition in Canada 2002 and Thailand 2004. She was stopped at the group stages in Russia 2006 and Costa Rica 2022.
In the other group A match hosts Columbia beat Mexico by a lone goal scored by over lapping defender, Mary Espitaleta in the 38th minute from a Hernandez Sules cross.
Columbia therefore topped group A table with 9 points and 4 goals as they are yet to concede a goal in the tournament; Mexico despite the loss is 2nd having 4 points and +1 goals difference while Cameroon is 3rd also with 4 points and +1 goals difference and Australia goes home with no point and -6 goals deficit.
Earlier in group E. Austria defeated New Zealand 3-1 to allow Japan maintain the lead there with 6 points and +3 goals difference; Austria is 2nd with 6 points and +3 goals difference; Ghana has zero point with -4 goals deficit and New Zealand is 4th with zero point and -9 goals deficit.
The last group E matches will be played on Sunday at midnight When New Zealand will meet Ghana and Austria will size up Japan.
Also Netherland played 3-3 draw w Argentina to give North Korea leadership in group F with 6 points and +3 goals; Netherlands is 2nd with 4 points and +2 goals; Argentina has 1 point and -4 goals deficit while Costa Rica is down with zero point and -11 goals deficit.
Later on Saturday at 2100 hours, Nigeria will be against Venezuela and South Korea will face Germany in Group D.
On Sunday, the last games of group C will be decided between USA and Paraguay and Morocco versus Spain at 0000 hours. Group F finals will be at 2100 hours on Sunday when Netherlands and North Korea will determine superiority and Argentina will also attempt to smash Costa Rica.
On 11th September at Bogota, Brazil will meet a lucky loser from groups A/C/D in the R16 game; also that day in Bogota Mexico will pay a team to be determined in R16 game; at Cali same 11th September, hosts Columbia will meet lucky loser from C/D/E while on 12th France will meet the 2nd team from group F in Madelin.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
#FIFA #Columbia2024
#CAF #NFF #GermanFA.
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