Cameroon striker Ajara Nchout has urged her side not to take their opponents for granted as they welcome Zambia in the first leg of the final round of the 2020 Women's Olympic qualifiers on Thursday.
The Indomitable Lionesses are eyeing an Olympic return for the first time since their debut at London 2012, where they suffered three defeats and conceded 11 goals but only found the target once.
To reach the final stage, Alain Djuemba's side overcame Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d'Ivoire. They now must negotiate past the Copper Queens to earn an automatic ticket.
And the 2019 African Women's Footballer of the Year runners-up, who netted thrice to power the Lionesses to this stage, emphasised on her dreams to make their second Olympic appearance in Tokyo.
“We will go into the tie with all our arsenal and we know what to expect especially after seeing Zambia’s path to this round where they have eliminated some of the best teams," Nchout told Cafonline.
"This is a team that cannot be taken lightly. The Olympic Games is a prestigious competition and it is only the best who participate. It is the dream of any sportsman to be part of this beautiful competition.
“There is pressure as this is a decisive match. It is like playing a final but will still remain a match like any other.
"We will give it everything on the field. Zambia is much more about team spirit and we will have to be wary of everyone.
"Currently, we are in the preparation phase ahead of the league which begins on 21 March but we are playing our first match on 23 March. It is very intense work.
"We will have to be ready for this season because it will be a long one with the Uefa Women's Champions League also coming up.
“The objective for this year is to qualify for the Olympic Games, post a good performance and then try to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations."
Cameroon will take on Zambia in the first leg at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on Thursday before travelling for the reserve fixture at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka five days later.
