Canada and Cameroon trot out to the sound of Seven Nation Army, and we are just the national anthems away from kick-off.
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Any pre-match thoughts, prediction or things to get off your chest? “I’m watching it in Ottawa,” emails Ivan. “We’ll soon see if Canada’s younger players can step up or if it will be up to Sinclair to do all the scoring. As much as I hate to say it, I think they’ll have a tough time against Cameroon today …”
Now, then. This is Cameroon’s second appearance at a World Cup having reached the last 16 when making their debut in 2015 (losing 1-0 to China PR). And here is some further pre-match trivia: the defender Estelle Johnson is set to make her international debut for Cameroon in France despite having an American father and a Malian mother. The Sky Blue FC centre-back was born in Maroua, a city in the north of Cameroon, and pledged her allegiance to the country having been inspired by the team’s efforts at the 2015 World Cup. “As a team we want to perform better than we did in 2015 and we know we can achieve something interesting at the World Cup. I always wanted to play for Cameroon.”
The teams!
Canada (4-4-2): Labbe; Lawrence, Buchanan, Zadorsky, Chapman; Prince, Scott, Schmidt, Beckie; Sinclair, Fleming
Subs: TBC
Cameroon (4-5-1): Ndom; Leuko, Awona, Manie, Johnson, Meffometou; Ajara, Feudjio, Tango, Onguene; Ndoumbouk
Subs: TBC
Referee: TBC
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Preamble
Welcome to Group E. Canada kick things off against Cameroon, who boast arguably the best – and most formidable-sounding – nickname at the tournament: the Indomitable Lionesses. Canada are ranked fifth in the world for a reason, though, and in 35-year-old Christine Sinclair, they have a prolific goalscorer, who can break the all-time goalscoring record, should she find three goals between now and the end of the World Cup. Sinclair is three short of the record of 184 goals held by American former World Cup winner Abby Wambach. “The second I lose that burning desire is the second I have to hang up the boots,” Sinclair says. “What motivates me right now is to win a World Cup.” And this represents the perfect chance to get off to a flyer.
Kick-off: 8pm (BST)
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