Sao Tome and Principe U17 women side has been airlifted back to their country on Saturday after travel restrictions due the outbreak of coronavirus left the team stuck in Cameroon.
The Sao Tome and Principe delegation had been in Yaounde following their 6-0 loss to Cameroon in the 2020 U17 Women's World Cup qualifier on March 14, crashing out 10-0 on aggregate.
Things took a turn for the worst as travel was stopped in and out of most countries in a bid to avoid the spread of coronavirus meant the team could no longer return home as scheduled on Sunday.
Goal earlier reported that the team were initially scheduled to return home via Malabo on Sunday. However, the closure of the border that morning halted their journey back home.
On Thursday, Cameroon's Football Federation (Fecafoot) revealed it has offered an array of relief for the stranded team while working with its government to fast track their return.
On Saturday, Fecafoot announced the team was only able to return after their departure arrangement was sorted with the Cameroon government thanks to the intervention of Caf and Fifa.
"The U17 national team of Sao Tomé and Principe finally left Yaounde this afternoon for Sao-Tomé," Fecafoot announced via its Twitter account on Saturday afternoon.
"She [Sao Tome and Principe] had been stranded in Yaounde because of #COVID19 for a week. She thanks the government and the government for the support of Fecafoot and Fifa for this return."
L’équipe nationale U17 de Sao Tomé et Principe a finalement quitté Yaoundé cet après-midi pour Sao-Tomé. Elle était bloquée à Yaoundé pour cause de #COVID19 depuis une semaine. La #FECAFOOT remercie le Gouvernement et la @FIFAcom pour le soutien à ce retour au bercail pic.twitter.com/I5SHMHB9tt
— Fecafoot-Officiel (@FecafootOfficie) March 21, 2020
After seeing the Sao Tome and Principe players airlifted from Yaounde, Fecafoot president Seidou Mbombo Njoya was thankful.
"The U17 women's national team from Sao Tomé and Principe arrived safely in the late afternoon in Sao-Tomé. Happy ending. Renewed thanks to the government, Fifa and Caf, who made the operation possible," he wrote via Twitter.
L’équipe nationale féminine U17 de Sao Tomé et Principe est arrivée à bon port en fin d’après-midi à Sao-Tomé. Dénouement heureux. Remerciements renouvelés au Gouvernement, à la @FIFAcom et à la @CAF_Online, qui ont rendu cette opération possible. @FecafootOfficie pic.twitter.com/QtK0cWB7oc
— Seidou Mbombo Njoya (@MbomboSeidou) March 21, 2020
It was the first time Sao Tome and Principe will participate in the Women's World Cup qualifier at the U17 level in their history.