Cameroon have made history by defeating Malawi 3-0 to win their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in a dramatic WAFCON final in Rabat.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have made history by winning their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title after defeating debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat, Morocco.
The historic victory at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Sunday ended Cameroon’s long wait for continental glory after three previous defeats in the WAFCON final. The Indomitable Lionesses had finished runners-up to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
Cameroon produced a devastating first-half performance, scoring all three goals before the interval to effectively settle the contest.
Marie Ngah Manga opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a header before Naomi Ndjoah Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage nine minutes later.
Ngah Manga completed her brace in first-half stoppage time, giving Cameroon a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Malawi, competing at the continental championship for the first time, attempted to respond after the restart but struggled to break through Cameroon’s disciplined defence.
The Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, who had been instrumental in Malawi’s remarkable run to the final, were unable to find a way past the Cameroonian defence.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina also played a key role as Cameroon preserved its clean sheet and comfortably saw out the remainder of the match.
The triumph marked a historic breakthrough for Cameroon, which had endured disappointment in three previous WAFCON finals.
The Indomitable Lionesses became the fourth country to win the women’s continental title, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Cameroon also became only the third African country, after Nigeria and South Africa, to win both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles.
The victory was particularly significant for Marie Ngah Manga, whose two goals in the final took her tournament tally to five, level with Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga and Zambia’s Barbra Banda among the leading scorers.
For Malawi, the defeat brought an end to an extraordinary debut campaign that saw the Scorchers reach their first WAFCON final.
The Malawians had already announced themselves as one of the surprises of the tournament by defeating defending champions Nigeria in the group stage before overcoming Ghana and Algeria in the knockout rounds to reach the final.
Despite falling short against Cameroon, Malawi’s run to the final represented the country’s best-ever performance at the tournament.
The 2026 WAFCON was staged in Morocco from July 26 to August 16, with the final also taking place in Rabat. The official CAF competition calendar confirms the tournament dates.
Algeria secured the bronze medal after defeating hosts Morocco in the third-place play-off.
Cameroon’s victory brings the 2026 WAFCON to a historic conclusion, with the Indomitable Lionesses finally adding their name to the continental roll of honour after decades of near misses.
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