Cameroon veteran Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné has high hopes ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which gets underway on Sunday 26 July.
The 37-year-old has played in six previous WAFCONs (as well as the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2015 and 2019 World Cups), but has never tasted continental glory.
The closest Onguéné has come to WAFCON success was in the 2014 and 2016 editions, when the Indomitable Lionesses finished as runners-up.
“I still feel that I haven’t achieved something truly great with the national team. I can’t leave this team without accomplishing something special in the game that has given me so much,” Onguéné told CAF’s website in an interview. “I’ve played in many Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, but there is still something missing. That feeling is what keeps me going. I want to try one more time and see if we can achieve something great.”
This year, Cameroon have been drawn in Group D and will come up against Mali, Ghana and Cape Verde on 29 July, 2 August and 6 August respectively.
“They are all very good teams and we respect every one of them. At a Women’s AFCON, anything can happen. We also know how difficult our qualification campaign was,” said Onguéné.
This tournament has added significance, as it also serves as the qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup: the four semifinalists will secure direct qualification, while two teams will advance into inter-confederation playoffs.
Read Also: 2026 FIFA World Cup: Late extra-time goals propel Argentina into semifinals, defeat Switzerland 3-1
To that end, Onguéné is hopeful that Cameroon can make their fans proud: “Our supporters have always stood by us, even when we failed to qualify for the last tournament.
“They have never stopped believing in us and we want to thank them for that. We promise to give everything for Cameroon. Whatever challenges we face, we will fight until the end.
“That is the Cameroonian spirit. We respect every opponent, but we never give up and we never stop believing in ourselves.”
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