By Agnes Amondi,

Cameroon host Zambia in their first leg of the fifth and final round of the 2020 Women’s Olympic qualifiers on Thursday in Yaounde with an automatic slot to the summer games up for grabs.

Les Lionnes poster girl Ajara Njoya is excited as they prepare to face the Copper Queens but also remains cautious ahead of the blockbuster clash, which she admitted would not be easy.

She is wary of Zambia’s threat as she reflected on their path to the final hurdle, eliminating Kenya’s Harambee Starlets en route.

“We will go into the tie with all our arsenal and we know what to expect especially after seeing Zambia’s path to this round where they have eliminated some of the best teams in the continent. This is a team that cannot be taken lightly,”

“The Olympic Games is a prestigious competition and it is only the best who participate. It is the dream of any sportsman to be part of this beautiful competition,” Njoya, voted as Africa’s second best women’s footballer for 2019 told CAFOnline.com.

Les Lionnes are seeking a second qualification to the Olympic Games having made their debut at the London Games in 2012.

With a quality workforce that bears the experience of players like Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene, Michelle Henriette Akaba and Falonne Meffometou, the Cameroonians are looking at turning their dreams into reality.

With the first leg at home, Alain Djeumfa’s girls will be banking on home advantage and hope the fans will provide maximum support at the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé.

They saw off Ethiopia and Cote d’Ivoire to reach the final round and will be looking to finish the job.

“There is pressure as this is a decisive match. It is like playing a final but will still remain a match like any other. We will give it everything on the field. Zambia is much more about team spirit and we will have to be wary of everyone,” Njoya underscored.

Njoya has been playing for Norwegian top tier side Våleranga FD since 2018 but has managed to get released by her club and be part of Cameroon’s dream for a place in Tokyo.

“Currently, we are in the preparation phase ahead of the league which begins on March 21 but we are playing our first match on March 23.

It is very intense. We will have to be ready for this season because it will be a long one with the UEFA Women’s Champions League also coming up,” Njoya remarked on her club fortunes in Europe.

However, her immediate attention will be on helping Cameroon get their place back on top of the Queens’ table of African football.

Les Lionnes have played second fiddle to Nigeria over the years and with the latter having been eliminated, Njoya sees this as a clearer path for her side to make it to Tokyo and is clear on their ambition.

“The objective for this year is to qualify for the Olympic Games, post a good performance and then try win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations,” the confident Njoya stated.

Fixtures

05.03.2020 Yaounde Cameroon vs Zambia
10.03.2020 Lusaka Zambia vs Cameroon