Bella Rose: The Queen of Malabo King’s

The Cameroonian player from Malabo King’s wasted no time in establishing herself as the boss of the attack on the club in the Equatorial Guinean capital. She is one of the players to watch during the first edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League 2021 which will be played in November 2021 in Egypt.

Rose Bella's first season under the Malabo King’s colors is going quite well. The Cameroonian striker who arrived in the Equatorial Guinean capital in December 2020 from Cameroonian club Louves MINPROFF has, in a very short time, succeeded in establishing herself as the key element in the "Azules" attack.

She was able to show it during the qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League in the UNIFFAC zone, played in August and September. Her outstanding performances largely contributed to the qualification of the young club of Malabo (barely two years of existence) for this very first continental meeting. It was she who showed the way to her teammates, during the first leg of the first round of qualifying against Cameroon’s Louves MINPROFF at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, on August 1, 2021.

With a brace, Rose Bella showered the hopes of her former teammates. Dryly beaten (0-3) at home, the most successful club in the Cameroonian championship (5 trophies) had to achieve a miracle in Malabo in the return match, to qualify.

In the first leg against Congolese Amani FC, Rose Bella struck again, signing two assists for a clear 4-1 win for Malabo King's. The small victory (0-1) in the return match in Kinshasa was more than enough to secure the only ticket in the UNIFFAC zone for the very first edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League.

“To be qualified for the first CAF Women's Champions League is an honor, it's a great source of pride. Before, we saw it differently. It was only for the men; we weren't thinking of the women. CAF has now thought about women, and I am very happy to be qualified for this first edition.”, rejoiced the Cameroonian player, speaking to CAFOnline.com. This qualification, she adds, is above all the result of a lot of teamwork. “During these qualifiers, we were a very united and a very solid group, respecting the coach's instructions. We worked hard to qualify.", said the Cameroonian.

Ambitious goals

At Malabo King’s, Rose Bella had no difficulty fitting in. The presence within the group, of several former Cameroonian teammates in clubs and in national team has made things even easier. "The integration was very easy because in the group, I found former teammates with whom I played in Cameroon and in the national team (Ndlr : Florence Fanta, Brigitte Omboudou). The team welcomed me and gave me the opportunity to express myself. Everything was very easy and very peaceful for me.”, she explained.

With Malabo King’s, the goalscorer has set ambitious goals for herself. In particular, she wants to help her team lift the very first TotalEnergies CAF Champions League trophy in November. "My goals with the club in the short term are already to hoist it as high as possible, that is to say to be able to play at least the final of the African Champions League and why not, bring the trophy home", said the indomitable lioness. She also wants "to be the best player and best scorer and why not, I would say woman of all matches in the African Champions League".

With 12 goals already scored in 17 matches in an Equatorial Guinean league outrageously dominated by Malabo King's (17 wins in 17 matches), she sits atop the scorers' standings and intends to keep up the pace until the end of the year. Back among the Indomitable Lionesses for a while, the striker who, in addition to her efficiency combines power and speed, also wants to help the Cameroonian selection to qualify "for the Africa Cup of Nations and the upcoming deadlines."

Both in club and in national team, Rose Bella (27) will especially speak about her experience gleaned throughout a course that still commands admiration. After her debut at Vital Sport de Mbalmayo, a Cameroonian second division club, the striker with tinted hair has alternately evolved at Femina Sport d'Ebolowa, AS Police Yaoundé, Amazone FAP, Sunshine Queens (Nigeria), Louves Minproff, before landing at Malabo King’s.

Rose Bella has also 21 appearances with the senior Indomitable Lionesses that she has been working with since 2014. She was notably part of the group that lifted Cameroon to the round of 16, during her very first participation in the World Cup FIFA in 2015 in Canada. Her recors with the lionesses also includes an Africa Cup of Nations final lost to Nigeria in 2014 in Namibia.

Studies rather than football

Like many other African players, embracing a football career has not been the easiest equation for the Yaounde native. The plan to make football her profession was initially met with the reluctance of her parents who wished instead to direct her towards a career as a teacher. It was with the death of her father that the former AS Police player finally saw the boulevard open before her.

"It is true that it was not easy to convince my parents to let me do this job. From a young age I was always with the boys so that I could develop football, always playing ball and Daddy, he didn't like it, he wanted me to continue my studies. But unfortunately, after his death I was left on my own and found myself playing football, and there was no one left to stop me.”, Bella said.

The Malabo King’s goalscorer presents her former teammate Gaelle Enganamouit as the role model who inspires her on a daily basis. “This is our only Golden Ball in Cameroon. She's my idol actually. I have played with her for a long time in the national team and really, I would like to follow in her footsteps.”, she confided.

The two lionesses will fortunately continue to rub shoulders in the Cameroonian national team where Gaelle has now been wearing the prestigious title of Team Manager for a few months. The Cameroonian international, 27, still has the hope of one day playing under the colors of Olympique Lyonnais, her dream club.

Rose Bella has not yet finished revealing her qualities and her genius. She has more than one argument to be part of the thrills of this first CAF TotalEnergies Women's Champions League 2021, scheduled for November 5-19 in the Land of the Pharaoh.