By NewsWatch Sports Writer
Sunday October 22 was a day of joy for Guinness Super League newcomers, Ita Mbong FC of Nkambe as they triumph in their debut in the Women’s elite championship.
The ladies from Nkambe defeated three times champions, AS Awa FC of Yaounde at the Annex B of the Olembe stadium 2-1 in their first-ever appearance at the top tier league.
Just four minutes into the game, Ita Mbong’s Grace Mbunwe fired a shoot from left flank and Lizette Chioamba curled it unto the waiting leg of Antoinette Shey who tapped it in as AS Awa goalkeeper Fanseu Ndjongang dived with open hands.
The goal then gave Ronard Shey’s side an early lead and acted like a booster to the victory-hungry visitors and their fans.
The joy of Ita Mbong fans was almost short-lived when just two minutes after the goal, AS Awa played upfront with attacker Tiasse Anabelle Diane coming face-to-face with Ita Mbong’s goalkeeper before the assistant referee raised her flag indicating an offside.
Diane will however take advantage of loose defence to squirt the ball into Ita Mbong’s net for an equalizer at the 21st minute as goalkeeper Glory Asonyu looked helpless, but received encouragement from fans.
The teams will then end the first half of the game on same score line.
The second half
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Adelpha Sipyinyu Berinyuy slotted in another spectacular goal to give Ita Mbong 2-1 lead to the glee of the few dozen fans of the visiting Nkambe girls.
Both teams will then resort to changes with AS Awa reinforcing the attack line and Ita Mbong doing same for the midfield and defence.
AS Awa will again come close to equalization but Ita Mbon’s goalkeeper stopped a 71-minute corner-kick connected into her pool by substitute Mediatrice Kibong who had taken the place of the goal scorer, Anabelle Diane.
Four minutes of added time seemed too little for AS Awa who were down by a goal, but (I guess) too much for Ita Mbong who were leading – and then confusion set in!
When the central referee, Amsra Asmaou sounded her whistle ending the match, the fourth referee contested, saying she had stopped one minute before time. By then, fans of Ita Mbong were already in ecstasy with substitute players already on the field celebrating with their teammates.
Both teams will later agree to play for the remaining one minute and it was victory for Ita Mbong eventually as the 2-1 score line remained unchanged.
“We are very happy and we thank God for the first victory in our first match of the Guinness Super League,” coach Ronard Shey said adding “we expect our fans to turnout massively during our next match in Bamenda on Saturday [October 28] as win aim for another victory”.
