Cameroonian female footballer’s home vandalised following penalty miss

Cameroon forward Gaelle Enganamouit [Courtesy]

26-year-old Gaelle Enganamouit saw her Yaounde home vandalised following missing a penalty for the Cameroon national women’s football team as they played Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the semi-finals of the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Nigeria went on to win the match 4-2 via penalty shootout and book their spot in the final, consequently confirming their qualification for the World Cup in France next year.

As seen by Game Yetu on BBC, Cameroon’s head coach Joseph Ndoko said Enganamouit close relatives claimed people threw rocks at the family’s house, threatening to return. He blasted those responsible for the alleged attack, warning the team’s preparations to take on Mali could be adversely affected.

“It is a very unpatriotic and outrageous act that some persons will attack Gaelle's home because of the penalty miss," Ndoko said, adding that fans should learn to encouragement and support players, as they need it to fight hard for their country.

"It could've gone either way but I hope people still remember all the good times and realise that these players are fighting for the honour of an entire country. They need support and encouragement, not such shameful behavior," explained Ndoko.

Coach Ndoko also revealed Enganamouit didn’t immediately know what the reaction what back home since players are usually separated from their phones while in camp.

“We take away the phones of the players to make sure they don't read the negative press about them,” he said.

Enganamouit’s teammate Nchout Njoya Ajara admitted the team was saddened by the news, saying such incidents make players think twice about honouring national team call-ups.

“We choose to fight for our country, to make our compatriots proud but when such things happen, we start doubting if we made the right choice,” Ajara said.