Cameroon's Gabrielle Onguene: Why I quit school to focus on football

Gabrielle Onguene claims she abruptly stopped her education early in life to focus on her football career so as to get her 'family out of misery'.

Onguene played a vital role for the Indomitable Lionesses, clinching a ticket to the 2019 Women's World Cup in France after they placed third at this year's African Women's Cup of Nations.

The 29-year-old starred in Cameroon's back-to-back Awcon final appearances at Namibia 2014 and Cameroon 2016.

"I can't imagine living without football as I always want to shoot in the ball," Onguene said in a Caf twitter video post on Wednesday.

"I was scouted about the age of 15. Football is the most beautiful sport in the world. When i play for national team, I feel like I am with my family.

"Football made me who I am today. It gave me everything. The only thing I didn't have the chance to achieve was my scholarship.

"I had to stop going to school to focus on football to get my family out of misery."

She, however, urged young girls considering a livelihood through football to take their education seriously.

"My message to all my sisters out there is to do what you really love to do but don't forget to go to school because it is the most important thing,” Onguene continued.

“My dream is to help conciliating education and football. I have faith that one day, women football in Africa will move out of the shadows," she concluded.

Onguene, for the fourth year in a row, is in the race for the 2018 Africa Women Player of the Year award, with winner to be announced at the Caf award/Gala night in Dakar on January 8.