When Portugal meet Cameroon on Wednesday, an irresistible attacking force will be pitted against an immovable defensive object.
The Portuguese have scored in every one of their last 13 matches and, as New Zealand found to their cost on Friday, they rarely settle for finding the net once.
But in the Indomitable Lionesses, A Selecção das Quinas face a team built on the sturdiest of defensive bases.
The clean sheet kept against Thailand on Saturday was Cameroon’s eighth in their last 13 matches. No wonder, then, that coach Gabriel Zabo publicly identified his team’s rearguard as their greatest hope. Or that players, even those in more advanced positions, fully agree.
“It’s such a big thing for us,” Michaela Abam, a forward, told Fifa+. “You have to have trust in all your teammates but those girls at the back are our last line of defence and, honestly, that’s where our strongest suit is.
“When the ball goes over our heads [as midfielders and forwards], we look to them like, ‘Y’all got that?’ And they always do.”
Centre-back Estelle Johnson, a grateful recipient of Abam’s praise, was in no mood to be self-effacing on the subject. She also freely admits that – after victories – clean sheets are invariably the second item to check off on her to-do list.
“Of course! That’s what I go after every single game and it’s something that, as a backline, we discuss a lot,” she said. “We hold those shutouts very close to our hearts.
“Playing against an attack like Portugal’s is a challenge we look forward to,” added the North Carolina Courage star. “And it’s not just about the girls at the back because we defend well collectively as a team. It’s a big part of our identity.
“So yeah, bring it on! We’re ready.”
CRUCIAL GOALS
Their defence isn’t the only attribute giving Cameroon confidence ahead of this decisive Playoff Tournament duel at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium.
It was a substitute, Gabrielle Onguene, who scored the crucial goals that broke Thailand’s resistance in their playoff semifinal.
That they had such an effective and experienced substitute to call upon, according to Abam and Johnson, reflects the depth of talent in the Cameroonian squad.
“That’s a big strength of ours and I think there could be more players who come off the bench to make their mark,” said Abam. “For all of us it’s just great to know that, if a player comes off, whoever comes in is going to bring the same effort and quality.”
“There’s actually a lot of talent on the bench that people have yet to see,” Johnson agreed. “Hopefully they’ll see it on Wednesday!”
As optimistic as they evidently are, no-one in Zabo’s team is under any illusions about the quality of opposition standing in their way.
And while Cameroon have reached the last 16 at the last two Women’s World Cups, and Portugal have yet to qualify, Abam doesn’t necessarily see this as an advantage.
“That experience could help us. But it will also be an incentive for Portugal to get to their first, so they’ll have a lot of fight about them,” she explained. “It’s going to be a really competitive match and I just hope that we come out with the win.
“To be in this next World Cup would be huge for everyone. We all know it will be tough. But we’re aiming and striving to get there every day, in every session and every single thing that we do.”