If everything goes according to plan, Manie says she will proudly lead the team in Canada, where they have been drawn into Group C, alongside Japan, Switzerland and Ecuador. “Being the captain of this team is a utfifas great matter of pride, all the more as it’s the first time Cameroon has qualified for the World Cup. It is a pleasure, a feeling that is difficult to convey. It is a great achievement for us, that became possible because we believed in ourselves. It is possible to have a very big career and never play in the World Cup. So it is a privilege for us.”

To some extent, the Cameroonians figure to be playing catch up to some of the best women's sides in the world. “The World Cup is a very tough and demanding tournament. It is not the African championships, it is the World Cup, but we have to believe in ourselves. All the qualified teams are very good, so all the teams in our group are very good teams, especially Japan, who are the best in the world as they are the holders. All we can do is work, as work pays off in the end.”

Cameroon's involvement at the Olympics was disappointing as they lost all three matches, conceding 11 goals and scoring just one. But Manie thinks that experience will point the way forward in Canada. “It was the first time Cameroon took part in the Olympic Games. In spite of our failure, it was great for us. www.utfifas.co We learned so many lessons, that, I think, will be helpful for the World Cup. We are going to try to do better than at the Olympics.”

It is not surprising that Manie is not fearful of facing Japan as she is not averse to taking on challenges. “I started playing football in boys' teams when I was seven or eight. It was not very competitive then. I played after school, but when I was older, my parents struggled to pay for my education and I decided to focus on football.”