With all four Women’s World Cup playoff semifinals done and dusted and the three finals set for Feb. 22 and 23, here’s what we learned from the semis and who can still book their spot in this summer’s World Cup.
GROUP A
Cameroon 2-0 Thailand: Lionesses roar into final
Cameroon needed to lean on their more experienced players in order to get the job done against a veteran Thai squad. Although on top in the tie, the Indomitable Lionesses couldn’t tip things in their favour until 33-year-old Gabrielle Onguene stepped onto the pitch to link up with 30-year-old forward Ajara Nchout. Onguene’s two goals in three minutes towards the end of the second half ultimately made the difference.
Despite getting the job done, Cameroon did struggle at times against a resilient Thai team — with Portugal up next, they’re likely to lose unless they can hit the ground running from the beginning and put in a complete performance. The Lionesses are further hampered by the suspension of their first-choice goalkeeper, Ange Bawou, as neither of her understudies boast much…
