New Zealand’s women made football history in Coventry tonight when they reached the quarter final stage of an Olympic Games for the first time ever.
Cameroon 1 v New Zealand 3 Result
The Football Fearns, as they are affectionately known by their supporters, entered the game knowing only three points would be enough to progress as they lined-up against Cameroon.
But it was Cameroon who had the first attempt of note in the third minute when tricky forward Gabrielle Onguene put an early effort from inside the box past the right-hand post.
But it was New Zealand, playing in white, who should have opened the scoring 18 minutes in when right-back Ria Percival supplied a dangerous cross into the box only for Abby Erceg to miss the ball less than 10 yards out.
New Zealand were inches away from glory in the 34th minute when skipper Rebecca Smith gave a glimpse of what was to follow with a 30-yard strike that was pushed onto the post with the slightest of touches from Cameroon keeper Annette Ngo Ndom.
But the deadlock was finally broken in the 43rd minute when Ngo Ndom flapped at two successive Percival corners allowing Smith to head home from the second at the far post.
The Football Fearns started the second half as they ended the first, with a goal. Striker Rosie White broke clear of the Cameroon defence in the 49th minute, before Ngo Ndom came charging out of her area only to be easily evaded by White. The striker then crossed the ball into the path of the unfortunate Ysis Sonkeng who touched the ball past two of her fellow defenders and into her own net.
Cameroon had a rare opportunity to pull one back in the 59th minute, but Yvonne Leuko’s corner could only be guided onto the top of the net by Kirsty Yallop.
Three minutes later it was New Zealand celebrating again as Betsy Hassett glided past the Cameroon right-back to place a pin-point cross towards Sarah Gregorius who duly finished the move with a superb header past Ngo Ndom.
But there was still time for Cameroon to make an impression on the match and the African nation scored their first goal of the tournament in the 75th minute of their final game. A Leuko corner was headed back across goal by Adrienne Iven before Onguene improvised to put the ball in with the back of her head at the near post
