SPOKANE, Wash. –
Military football teams from three continents represented the top three finishers of the 2022 Women’s Military World Cup, including the first African country to win a silver medal.
Fairchild Air Force Base hosted this year’s Conseil International Du Sport Militaire [CISM] World Military Women’s Football Championship. The tourney featured a CISM-record 10 teams, from the far east of Asia, to western Africa and western Europe.
“Congratulations to all 10 teams for an outstanding competition,” said the U.S. Chief of Delegation to CISM Steven Dinote during closing ceremonies Friday. “You guys played fantastic [with] great sportsmanship throughout the whole tournament. What a great day for CISM; we have three nations from three different continents receiving medals.”
France, the only undefeated squad in the field, received the gold after beating Cameroon in a 2-1 thriller in the championship match Friday.
Cameroon, a French-speaking nation of about 26 million in central-west Africa, took the silver medal. South Korea, which defeated the United States 3-0 in the third place game, received the bronze.
Ebika Tabe with her 8 goals including a record five during the first half of her team’s 8-0 win over Belgium on July 19, won the Top Goal Scorer award.
The Best Goalkeeper Award went to Annette Flore Ngo Ndom, also from Cameroon, who only allowed one goal during the tournament.
Team Canada earned the Team Fair Play award.
South Korean Army Staff Sgt. Yena Park, a midfielder who impacted both sides of the ball for the South Koreans, won the Most Valuable Player award.
The tournament also saw a resurgence for the United States, who finished fourth. The U.S. Armed Forces team with new additions such as Air Force Capt. Angela Karamonos and Army 1st Lt. Hailey Roberson mixed with talented returning players such Air Force Capts. Morgan Roberts, Meredith Reisinger and Jen Gillette, just missed qualifying for a medal.