“What I expected, I didn’t see 100%”: Hassan Balla Demands More from U20 Lionesses after 18-0 aggregate win

Cameroon’s resounding 9-0 second leg victory over Niger did not completely satisfy the coach of the Indomitable Lionesses, who is demanding a little more in the next round.

Hassan Balla’s girls defeated Niger both home and away with a cumulative score of 18-0: 9 goals in Niamey, followed by 9 more in Yaoundé on Saturday. They thus qualify for the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 Women’s U20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland. It’s a fine performance for the U20 squad, but it doesn’t entirely fulfill their coach. Speaking after the match, Hassan Balla admitted he was left wanting more.

“What I expected, I didn’t see 100%. We’re going to keep working to correct certain things and try to progress. There is still a lot to improve in the midfield. This Niger team came with a very compact block. The objective is the next round. Not everything was perfect; we must continue to work to perfect our game,” declared the former Cameroonian international.

Balla is already focused on their next opponent in the third round. Following this decisive stage, the Cameroonian technical director will know the fate of his team for the 7th edition of the Women’s U20 World Cup. For now, the focus is on correcting the small errors observed yesterday against Niger.