Michael Ngadeu has revealed that he did not want to take a penalty during Cameroon’s quarter-final clash against Senegal at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite delivering a strong performance, the defender admitted that he lacked the confidence to step up during the decisive shootout.
“At the end of the match, I went to the coach myself and said: ‘Coach, I don’t feel up to it. Honestly, I don’t want to take a penalty,’” he recalled.
Ngadeu explained that he feared throwing away an otherwise impressive performance by missing his spot-kick. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he felt he had done his job well and did not want a missed penalty to overshadow his contribution. The memory of Womé Nlend’s missed penalty against Egypt in the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign also weighed heavily on his mind. “I was playing as a ‘number 6’ and had played a really good game, so I didn’t want to spoil everything. Plus, I remembered what happened to Womé Nlend back home. I thought to myself: ‘If I miss, these people will come for me,’” he explained.
Cameroon eventually defeated Senegal in the penalty shootout and continued its impressive run at the tournament. The Indomitable Lions went on to beat Egypt in the final to lift the AFCON trophy. Ngadeu’s account highlights the psychological pressure players face during penalty shootouts, when a single kick can shape a team’s fate and leave a lasting impact on an individual’s career.
