5 Days to Go Until the Women’s AFCON: Raïssa Feudjio, the Spark of a Nation
The countdown continues for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024. As we gear up for the 15th edition of the tournament, CAFOnline.com is revisiting some of the most iconic moments in the competition’s history. With just five days to go before kick-off, we look back at the unforgettable goal scored by Raïssa Feudjio in the semi-final of the 2016 edition, hosted by Cameroon.
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations begins in 5 days.
On 29 November 2016, at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, over 40,000 fans held their breath. Cameroon faced Ghana in the semi-finals. The Indomitable Lionesses, pushed on by a passionate home crowd, were determined to secure a historic place in the final on home soil. But the pressure was immense, and the match was tight. By the 60th minute, the score remained 0-0.
Then, in the 71st minute, everything changed. Following a scramble in the Ghanaian box, the ball fell to Raïssa Feudjio. Without hesitation, the midfielder unleashed a powerful right-footed strike. The shot pierced through the defense and beat the goalkeeper. Cameroon had taken the lead. The stadium erupted.
“It’s a moment I’ll never forget. I hit the ball instinctively, carried by the energy of the crowd. When I saw it hit the back of the net, I had tears in my eyes,” Raïssa would recall years later.
Her goal was more than just decisive — it was symbolic. It represented a generation determined to lift Cameroon to the heights of a competition long dominated by Nigeria. That legendary strike sent the Indomitable Lionesses to their first continental final at home. “It wasn’t just a goal, it was a release. We knew an entire nation was behind us. This was our WAFCON, our moment,” Feudjio added.
Though the final, played a few days later, ended in heartbreak with a narrow 1-0 loss to Nigeria, the 2016 campaign remains a cornerstone in the history of women’s football in Cameroon. And Raïssa Feudjio’s goal stands as one of the most emotional moments ever witnessed at the Yaoundé stadium.
