Cameroon's Alain Djeumfa: World Cup Loss to England a 'Miscarriage of Justice'
Jun 23, 2019
Cameroon manager Alain Djeumfa said Sunday's Women's World Cup loss to England was a "miscarriage of justice" after multiple controversial calls went against his team.
"I won't go anything further than that," Djeumfa told reporters after the match. "It's a game; it's a sport. The referee made a lot of mistakes tonight."
Djeumfa's team took particular ire with calls made by the video assistant referee. England's first two goals came in part because of calls made by VAR. Steph Houghton's goal was set up by England being awarded an indirect free kick, and Ellen White's goal to make it 2-0 was awarded after VAR overturned an offsides call.
A Cameroon goal by Ajara Nchout was wiped out when VAR pointed out an offsides call. Cameroon players were visibly angered by the calls, to the point play stopped on two occasions because of the protests.
England manager Phil Neville was critical of the behavior from Cameroon's players.
"I sat through 90 minutes of football there and completely felt ashamed of the opposition," Neville said. "I did not enjoy the game for that reason apart from the fact we're in the quarterfinal and have momentum. All those young girls and boys watching the game back in England—we had 5, 6, 7 million people watching England play an international game against Cameroon with that kind of behavior.
"I think it's pretty sad. I can't gloss over it and fudge it, and I've got to tell the truth to everybody."
Djeumfa defended his team, saying they did not quit and showed perseverance through the adverse conditions.
"That's your feeling that the players never refused to play, but ultimately we didn't stop and refuse to play," he said. "My players were examples, and occasionally when you are in a state of shock, you can lose your cool.
England went on to win the match 3-0, eliminating Cameroon from the World Cup. VAR has been at the center of numerous controversies throughout the event, though it's fair to say the review system has made calls more accurate.
England will move on to play Norway in the quarterfinals.
