Rabat – Cameroon have been crowned Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions for the first time after defeating Malawi 3-0 in Sunday’s final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The Indomitable Lionesses effectively decided the contest with a dominant first-half performance, scoring all three goals before the break to end Malawi’s remarkable debut campaign and finally overcome their own history of disappointment in WAFCON finals.
Marie Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Naomi Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage nine minutes later. Ngah then struck again in first-half stoppage time to send her team into the interval with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Malawi attempted to respond after the break by attacking stars Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga, but Cameroon held on to their advantage, and goalkeeper Michaely Bihina completed another clean sheet.
The result gives Cameroon their first continental women’s title at the fourth attempt.
Before Sunday, the Indomitable Lionesses had reached three WAFCON finals and lost each of them to Nigeria. They suffered a 5-0 defeat in 2004, lost 2-0 in 2014 and were beaten 1-0 on home soil in 2016.
Cameroon therefore become the fourth different nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining record champions Nigeria, two-time winners Equatorial Guinea and 2022 champions South Africa. They are also the third African country, after Nigeria and South Africa, to win both the men’s and women’s continental championships.
Remarkable road to the title
Cameroon’s triumph completes an extraordinary tournament.
The Indomitable Lionesses had initially failed to qualify for WAFCON 2026 after losing to Algeria over two legs. They were later added to the tournament after CAF expanded the finals to 16 teams, with Cameroon among four teams brought into the competition based on FIFA rankings.
Once in Morocco, they took full advantage of the opportunity.
Cameroon defeated Mali 2-1 and Ghana 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Cape Verde in Group D. They then eliminated defending champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals, with Myriam Nyadjou scoring the decisive goal.
Their semi-final against hosts Morocco proved even more dramatic. After 120 goalless minutes, Bihina saved three Moroccan penalties to help Cameroon win the shootout 3-1 and secure their first final appearance in a decade.
Head coach Valentine Nguele, a former Cameroon international, had credited the team’s run to tactical discipline, resilience and the willingness of the players to work for one another. The former midfielder represented Cameroon at WAFCON herself before beginning her coaching career in 2010.
Malawi, meanwhile, leave Morocco having produced one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.
Appearing at WAFCON for the first time, the Scorchers defeated Nigeria in their opening group match before overcoming Ghana in the quarter-finals and Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals. The Chawinga sisters had scored nine of Malawi’s 12 goals before the final.
Their run also secured a historic first qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
