Cameroon beat Malawi to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, Morocco; first WAFCON title.
WAFCON 2026: Cameroon defeat Malawi to win first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title
WAFCON 2026: Cameroon defeat Malawi to win first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title
A superb first-half performance saw Marie Ngah score a brace, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added another as the Indomitable Lionesses cruised to a 3-0 win to claim their first championship.
Cameroon have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title for the first time in history after an electrifying first-half performance helped them to a commanding 3-0 win over debutants Malawi in the 2026 final on Sunday (16 August) at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Two goals from Marie Ngah , either side of a Naomi Ndjoah Eto strike, took the game away from Malawi before the break, and the Scorchers were never able to respond as the Indomitable Lionesses held on to claim their first WAFCON title.
Cameroon, who had initially failed to qualify for the 12-team competition until CAF’s decision to expand the tournament to 16 teams gave them a lifeline, had managed just four goals in their previous five games in the tournament, with much of their progress driven by the heroic performances of Benfica goalkeeper Michaely Bihina .
But in the final, they did not require much from her, with Cameroon’s attackers stepping up when it mattered most.
The demolition started on the 20th minute mark with brilliant work down the right flank by Eto , who found Grace Mendoua at the far post.
After her header was saved, Ngah was on hand to nod in the rebound.
Ten minutes later, Eto made it 2-0 to the Indomitable Lionesses, turning in a loose ball after Malawi failed to clear from a corner.
On the stroke of half-time, Ngah found her second of the evening to give Cameroon a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the break. Her fifth goal of the tournament takes her joint top of the goalscoring chart alongside Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga .
Cameroon managed the second half expertly, frustrating Malawi as the Scorchers poured forward in search of a way back into the contest.
After three previous appearances in the final ( 2004, 2014 and 2016), Cameroon have finally lifted the trophy, becoming only the fourth country to win the WAFCON, joining Nigeria , Equatorial Guinea and South Africa in the exclusive club.
Malawi, on the other hand, have enjoyed a fairytale tournament on their debut appearance, inspired by the performances of the Chawinga sisters , Temwa and Tabitha .
Together, they scored nine of the Scorchers’ 13 goals at the tournament, helping them knock out traditional heavyweights Nigeria and Ghana on their way to the final.
While they will be disappointed not to have won the trophy, booking a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will still count as a remarkable achievement for this new generation of players.
26 July - 16 August
Football | Women’s Africa Cup of Nations | Morocco | Morocco