A stoppage time penalty from Carole Costa clinched a maiden FIFA Women's World Cup Finals berth for Portugal at Waikato Stadium on February 22, as they held off a fast-finishing Cameroon 2-1 in their play-off encounter to complete a group which also features Holland, Vietnam and the reigning world champions, the USA. The European team flew out of the blocks, Jessica Silva sweeping past two opponents inside the first ninety seconds before seeing her cross-shot tipped over the bar at her near post by sixteen-year-old Cathy Biya, who was called in to replace the suspended Ange Bawou. Ninety seconds later, Andreia Norton picked out Kika Nazareth, who sent a header crashing into the woodwork as Cameroon found themselves under siege from a Portugal side which was all over them like a rash! Ana Borges sent Diana Silva storming down the right in the tenth minute, with no-one in Cameroon's eye-catching kit capable of keeping up with "The Portuguese Express". Silva proved too far for her own team-mates on this occasion, for after evading two challenges she sent a cross flying across the face of goal, but no one in a red-and-green shirt was arriving on the far post to do it justice. Biya was called upon soon after to dash out of goal and deny Jessica Silva, but in the 21st minute Cameroon's resistance was finally broken by an exquisite Nazareth free-kick, which hit the post from thirty yards out, both Jessica Silva and Diana Gomes just failing to make contact with the curling effort en route. The latter found the rebound flying towards her, so promptly put it in the net to send Portugal on their way. The goal prompted Cameroon to pick up their game, with Monique Ngock firing their first shot in anger in the 25th minute, a long-range volley which was grabbed by Patricia Morais, six minutes before she produced a parried save to prevent Claudine Meffometou from levelling the scores, after good work by Jeannette Yango and Claudia Dabda. Portugal wrestled back the initiative, and four minutes before the break Jessica Silva was unable to capitalise upon Diana Silva's latest raid down the right. The latter directed a header narrowly past the post soon after, while on the stroke of half-time Costa saw her angled volley foiled by Biya, before Morais parried Ajara Nchout's twenty-yard free-kick to safety. The European contenders started the second half in spritely fashion, Jessica Silva rattling the side-netting before, from the resulting goal-kick, the talented striker retrieved possession and fired in a cross which found Diana Silva literally flying in to meet it - her spectacular volley flew narrowly over the bar just three minutes after play had resumed. Jessica Silva saw another shot blocked soon afterwards, Nazareth's neat control in the area having engineered the chance, while a long-range drive from Norton in the 52nd minute dipped late and crashed against the crossbar, much to the relief of Biya and her team-mates. Cameroon's goalkeeper was called upon soon afterwards to keep out a piledriver from Nazareth while Ngock lay in a heap, the midfielder having come off far the worse for wear after a four-way

battle for possession with Norton, Jessica Silva and Dabda. Portugal were taking no prisoners, as evidenced by Norton's crunching tackle on the in-full-flight figure of Charlene Meyong on the hour. This particularly "Indomitable Lioness" was unable to carry on, but her team-mates rolled up their sleeves and fought their way back into the contest soon afterwards, although not before Nazareth had kneed the ball over the bar from eight yards after more mesmerising attacking play by Jessica Silva. Twenty minutes from time, Nazareth and Diana Silva worked a one-two on the edge of the area which resulted in the former drawing a parried save from Biya at her near post. Diana Silva followed in, but was unable to direct the ball on target from close range. Cameroon began to get the upper hand in this battle for a place in this New Zealand-based FIFA Women's World Cup Finals group, but found Portugal's defence in nigh on impregnable form. But after persistently knocking on the door in the final ten minutes, they found an opening. Their first genuine threat during this consistent phase of attacking saw the African team find the back of the net through substitute Michaela Abam, but she had strayed offside when latching onto Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene's through ball six minutes from time. Four minutes later, Aboudi Onguene fired a free-kick over the bar after Costa fouled Nchout just outside the area. Within a minute, however, Nchout gained the sweetest possible revenge, her smart shot on the turn from the edge of the area arrowing past Morais into the bottom far corner of the net, Ngock having dispossessed Dolores Silva to engineer the opening. 1-1 with 89 minutes on the clock, and extra time looming large. But there was a few minutes of stoppage time to be played, and in the second minute of those extra minutes, Cameroon's hearts were broken by a Video Assistant Referee's decision. Jessica and Diana Silva teamed up to play the ball into the stride of substitute Andreia Jacinto. Her shot struck the sliding figure of Danielle Johnson, who had been a tower of strength at the heart of Cameroon's rearguard. Fortune didn't favour her on this occasion, however, as it was the outstretched arm of the defender which the ball struck, and the VAR check deemed that a penalty should result. Up stepped Costa to win the match for the Portuguese, whose delight on the blowing of the final whistle contrasted starkly with the despair of the Cameroonians, no one more so than Johnson, who didn't deserve to miss out on the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in this way. Cameroon:     Biya; Meffometou, Dabda (booked, 90), Johnson, Awona (Abam, 66), Nozana (booked, 44); Meyong (Ngo Mbeleck, 66), Ngock, Yango (booked, 67) (Manbolamo, 90); Bibout (Aboudi Onguene, 49), Nchout (booked, 6) Portugal:     Morais; Borges, Gomes, Costa, Amado (Marchao, 60); T. Pinto, Dolores Silva (Capeta, 90), Norton (F. Pinto, 71); J. Silva, Nazareth (Jacinto, 71), Diana Silva Referee:     Casey Reibelt (Australia)