Scotland 2 Cameroon 0

Posted on 16. Jul, 2012 by Stephen Kennedy in Match reports

From Aberdeen Sports Village, 16th July, 2012

I hadn’t intended on travelling north to the Granite City for this match but circumstances and a spur of the moment decision the day before, prompted me to make the journey to Aberdeen with the hope of an entertaining match and of course to avoid the “cricket score” scenario, which we often see in women’s football. Neither were to be seen at the Aberdeen Sports Village, however.

Image by Stephen Kennedy

The match was flat for most of the 90 minutes as the African nation matched Scotland in every department during the 90 minutes, which was played during ever-changing weather conditions.

It was evident from the off, that Cameroon were a decent force, testing Scotland early on with some long range efforts as Anna Signeul’s side struggled to get into the match. It took an own goal from Cameroon’s Ariane Bebey Beyene to break the deadlock, as her attempted clearance found its way into the back on the net.

Scotland sealed the victory with a long range effort from Joanne Love as her shot dipped in over the head of keeper Annette Flore Ngo Ndom but it was against the run of play it has to be said. The green shirts of Cameroon had played some exciting football but lacked a bit of composure in front of goal, otherwise we may have witnessed a shock result.

SWFitba’s Player of the Match Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene terrorised the Scots’ defence with incredible bursts of speed and ball control, which resulted in some entertaining battles between her and Scotland’s Rachael Small, which were a joy to watch.

Débutante Eilish McSorley was, as always rock solid and must surely be seen as a regular in the full Scottish line up soon.

Cameroon used this match as a pre-Olympic warm up and based on this performance, will be a difficult opponent, irrespective of who they face. They are strong side, with a plethora of pace on the wings but need to grow some confidence once they hit the final third.

Scotland, lacked a bit of sparkle whenever they made their way forward, however some heavy downpours could have dampened the spirits of even the most ardent professional. When the sun made an appearance, the football improved much to the pleasure of the large support present.

Speaking of which, it was brilliant to see the women’s game attracting such a decent sized crowd, despite the presence of the rain. Many were of Cameroon origin and certainly added a diversity of colour to the occasion, providing the photographer with an assortment of images, which can be seen by clicking here.

Overall, not the best game of football I have observed but a tough test for the Scottish lassies ahead of their up and coming Euro 2013 matches and the friendly match against Iceland in August.

Aberdeen Sports Village is an excellent venue for football, with a superb playing surface. SWFitba would like to thank those who assisted with team lines and requested access and short notice.

Image by Stephen Kennedy