It was an achievement for the Indomitable Lionesses to reach the last 16 but they let themselves down against England

Spitting, elbows in the face and temper tantrums. England had arrived in quaint yet sophisticated Valenciennes on Friday likely not expecting that by Sunday evening they would feel like they were in a nursery. Yet that is what the Stade du Hainaut became as the Cameroon national team fell to pieces and threw their toys out of the pram in style.

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And all that after impressing so many in the group stage. After their 1-0 defeat by Canada the Cameroon manager, Alain Djeumfa, had to temper expectations, shielding the almighty performance of his players from a frustrated national press by pointing out the gap of 31 places between the two sides in the Fifa rankings. That’s how good they had been.

Against the Netherlands, a leveller from their outstanding captain, Gabrielle Onguéné, was enough to earn them further plaudits despite a 3-1 loss come the 90th minute. Their passage to the last 16 as a best third-place finisher was well earned after beating New Zealand, and it made the utter collapse witnessed against England all the more surreal.

Just four minutes in and they should have been reduced to 10 players, Yvonne Leuko whacking an elbow into the face of Nikita Parris with force as Lyon’s new winger looked to round her marker. Leuko earned a yellow, their seventh up to that point in the tournament, but it should have been red. VAR did not call back the incident, suggesting violent conduct is less important than marginal movement of a goalkeeper.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Referee Qin Liang Qin tries to persuade the Cameroon players to play on. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

On the quarter-hour mark a rookie error by the above mentioned Augustine Ejangue with a back pass to the goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom while under pressure from Toni Duggan.

As the England winger gestured to the referee, Leuko took the no-look pass in a new direction, going for the no-look spit, gobbing on to Duggan’s outstretched arm. The referee, though, was unmoved by the sight of white spittle dripping down the limb.

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In a spectacle much more akin to the playground, the entire Cameroon XI lined up along the goalline for Steph Houghton’s resultant indirect free-kick and raced towards her en masse as she connected.

Just as it so often fails on playground Tarmac, so the tactic failed on the turf of this intimate stadium – funnily enough, 11 bodies still cannot fill the eight yards between the posts.

As the end of the half approached Ellen White’s goal sent the players in green and red into complete meltdown.

Following a delay to consult VAR, the clearly onside goal was allowed but the Cameroon side disagreed. Refusing to restart the match the entire team descended on the referee in the centre circle remonstrating about the decision, outfield players gesturing for the goalkeeper to join the fray and she duly obliged. A desperate Djeumfa could only wave for his team to reform from his technical area, the man called “Mean Dog” (by his players) reduced to impotent dog.

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With the whistle gone for half-time the players remained on the pitch in a huddle, trying to level lost heads. They emerged at the restart in the same fashion, cowered in the centre circle, willing themselves to find some flow and much-needed patience.

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It looked to have worked, the calm seemed to have been sapped out of the Lionesses at the break and into the Indomitable Lionesses. Ajara Nchout hit the back of the net after a poor clearance from Karen Bardsley put Lucy Bronze in trouble, but VAR ruled it out for offside. It was marginal. Very marginal.

But, to the letter of the law, correct. However in the playground it felt unjust, another attempt to deny the underdogs entry to the game, and the tears of Nchout flowed in despair as the players moved towards the touchline and looked closer to walking off than ever. Thankfully they didn’t.

In the second half VAR was once again under scrutiny, and this time the decision was way off, with the foul on Fran Kirby in the box the replay was clear, but with the masses baying and the referee’s control of the game on the brink this may have been a diplomatic call with England cruising at 3-0.

On 90 minutes the Cameroon anger was let loose, Alexandra Takounda shoving Houghton off the pitch while brutally raking an ankle.

A parting gift from a broken team who had undone the positive work of the group stage in emphatic, childish fashion.

Again the referee and VAR bottled the decision, waving a yellow card instead of a red. At the final whistle she was almost waving a white flag in relief.