'I will never forget' - Cameroon's Nchout relives heroic Women's World Cup memories

Ajara Nchout has looked back at one of her unforgettable moments at the 2019 Women's World Cup campaign with Cameroon.

The Indomitable Lionesses were destined for elimination from the international showpiece after Aurelle Awona’s own goal gifted the Football Ferns the lead in the 80th minute.

However, Nchout started the Central Africans come back when she found the back on the net five minutes from stoppage time before grabbing the winner with a stunning last kick of the encounter.

Her brace handed Cameroon their only win and also saw them reach the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams - which ensured their second appearance in a row in the Last 16 round.

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of that game and the 27-year-old took to social media to define what that game meant to her.

"The best memories are those you live with your loved ones," Nchout wrote on Instagram.

"The best memories are the ones you will never forget. I will never forget this day when, together, we went to seek this victory.

"That day, I understood, even more than yesterday, that you will always be by our side. We will always walk together."

In France, Cameroon knew only a win against New Zealand could boost their slim knockout stage hopes, having bowed to eventual group winners the Netherlands and runners-up Canada.

The Cameroon international whose late winner was voted the second-best goal of the tournament and also nominated for the 2019 Puskas award, shared some untold stories leading to the tie.

“Most people probably don’t know this but I shouldn’t have played against New Zealand," she told Fifa.com.

"I took a blow to the knee in the opening game against Canada and had to go off. I came on in the second half against the Netherlands, but when the team was announced for the New Zealand game I wasn’t in it. 

"I went to see the coach to tell him I wanted to play. He said I wasn’t 100 percent because of my injury and that he didn’t want to risk it. I said to him, ‘I didn't come to ask you to do that but you have to trust me. 

"I’m going to play this game as if nothing’s happened. Forget about my injury.’ He just said: ‘Are you sure, my girl?’ And he changed the side. Everyone in the team was surprised.

“It was on my mind during the warm-up but as soon as we kicked off that was it. When the game starts and your pulse is racing, you forget about the pain.”

Despite conceding 10 minutes from time, the former Sandviken striker defended teammate Awona over her accidental own goal.

“People make mistakes. It can happen to anyone," she continued: "I said to myself that we absolutely had to put it out of our minds and move on because I knew that if we lost, she’d feel so low. 

"She had her whole family in the stands and her mum thanked me after the match. Aurelle was crying on my shoulder after the match and she thanked me for what I did. She thought we were going out because of her goal."

On her brilliant late brace beginning five minutes from time, she recalled how she inspired the incredible comeback and the eventual career-changing impact of those goals.

"The cross came in from our left-back, Yvonne Leuko. I controlled the ball with my chest in the penalty box," she enthused. 

"The ball bounced up and I took a touch with my left foot before placing the ball past the keeper. That goal gave us a real boost because we knew our fans were expecting us to deliver.

“That goal was out of this world. I keep telling myself that my best goal and my best match are still ahead of me, but that game was one of my best ever. 

"When my captain, Gabrielle Onguene, headed the ball on to me I knew I could go it alone. It’s the kind of situation I work on in training a lot. We were in added time and I was determined to make the difference.

“That match really put me in the spotlight and showed everyone what I can do, even though I’ve been in the national team for 10 years. People still talk to me about it, both in Cameroon and elsewhere. 

"I was nominated for the Puskás Award, which is pretty amazing for an African player. On an emotional level, it’s one of the greatest goals in the history of Cameroonian football, both men’s and women’s, and it’s an honour for me to have made our supporters happy and proud.”

Despite missing out on the Africa Women's Player of the Year prize, 2019 was a year to remember for Nchout as her form earned Valerenga a maiden Champions League qualification.