Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses finally claimed their long-awaited first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday evening, 16 August 2026, with a commanding 3-0 victory over tournament debutants Malawi in the final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The triumph ended decades of near-misses and crowned a remarkable journey for a side that had twice failed to qualify properly yet still found its way into the expanded 16-team field and then dismantled some of the continent’s strongest opponents along the way.
The decisive goals all arrived in a one-sided first half that left Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world and appearing at their first ever WAFCON, with an insurmountable mountain to climb. In the 20th minute Marie Ngah Manga opened the scoring with a close-range header after Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo could only push a cross onto the crossbar.
Ten minutes later Naomi Eto produced a moment of real quality, swiveling with her back to goal and striking a fine scissors-kick volley that found the corner of the net. Deep into first-half stoppage time Eto again created the opportunity, rounding Sikelo and teeing up Ngah Manga for a simple finish that made it 3-0 before the interval.
Although Ngah Manga later missed a gilt-edged chance to complete a hat-trick early in the second half, the damage was already done. Cameroon’s defence, marshalled superbly and protected by goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, kept the dangerous Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, largely quiet for the remainder of the contest.
This victory carried particular emotional weight for Cameroon. The Indomitable Lionesses had reached the final three times before—in 2004, 2014 and 2016—only to lose each time to Nigeria without scoring. Their path to the 2026 showpiece was itself improbable.
After losing a qualifying play-off to Algeria they were handed a late reprieve when CAF expanded the finals from 12 to 16 teams and invited the highest-ranked non-qualifiers. Once inside the tournament they topped their group, eliminated reigning champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals, and then ousted hosts Morocco on penalties in the semi-finals after a goalless draw, with Bihina saving three spot-kicks in the shoot-out. Malawi, by contrast, had enjoyed a fairy-tale debut, upsetting Nigeria in the group stage and progressing all the way to the final on the strength of the Chawinga sisters’ prolific scoring. Yet in the end the gulf in experience and technical precision proved decisive.
Beyond the silverware, Cameroon secured a record $2 million prize, double the amount awarded to the previous champions, while Malawi collected $750,000 as runners-up. The financial boost reflects CAF’s decision to increase the overall tournament prize fund substantially, a move intended to strengthen women’s football across the continent.
Cameroon become only the fourth nation to lift the trophy after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa, and their success also confirmed their place among the African representatives at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.