Intercontinental play-offs: Portugal Makes history As Brave Lionesses Fail On The Edge

Goals from central defenders Diana Gomes and Carole Costa gave Portugal victory in the intercontinental play-offs as they secured a ticket to the 2023 World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand.

Portugal is in the final phase of a Women’s World Cup, for the first time in history, after defeating Cameroon 2-1 this Wednesday, in the intercontinental play-off finale.

Portugal had a very strong start to the game and hit the woodwork twice before Diana Gomes’ goal, in the 22nd minute. Free in the area, Sevilla’s sweeper headed the post and, on the same run of play, did not converted for the opener.

Portugal brought down the tempo after the goal, and coach Zabo’s ladies probed slowly into the game with Ngock Monique, Yango and Meyong taking more opportunities.

It became a very combative game with crunching tackles. It could have been very complicated with possible expulsions of Ana Borges, still in the first half, and Jéssica Silva, in the second, but the video referee (VAR) ordered the game’s continuation.

In the 56th minute, after Andreia Norton had sent a hit the crossbar, Catarina Amado had to leave the field due to injury. The Portuguese made substitutions, midway through the second stanza in response to Zabo who brought in Mbeleck, Abam and Aboudi which had an effect, and the African representatives approached the end with high intensity.

A warning came in the 84th minute, with a goal annulled for team Cameroon, due to Michaella Abam starting beyond the last defender.

Portugal ignored the signals and they were meant to pay for it five minutes later, when Dolores Silva lost the ball in midfield and Ajara finished a cross aimed at her with a strike on the turn for asn equaliser.

Portugal’s reaction couldn’t have been better: three minutes later, in a fulminating counterattack, Diana Silva launched Andreia Jacinto, who shot against Estelle Johnson’s arm. After seeing the images on the pitch, alerted by VAR, the referee signaled a penalty. From the 12-yards, in the 94th minute, Carole Costa scored the most important goal in the history of Portuguese women’s football team.

Portugal thus gets is in the final phase of the 2023 World Cup, which will take place from July 20 to August 20, in Australia and New Zealand. They are in group E, along with the United States, current two-time champions, the Netherlands, and Vietnam.

Cameroon meanwhile will miss out of the showpiece for the first time in three World Cup finals after making the knockouts in 2015 and 2019