Cameroon have finally ended years of heartbreak at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat to claim their first continental title.
The Indomitable Lionesses produced a dominant first-half display, scoring three times to effectively settle the contest before the break and deny Malawi a historic triumph on their tournament debut.
Marie Ngah Manga set Cameroon on their way in the 20th minute when she reacted quickest inside the box to head home from close range.
Naomi Eto then doubled the advantage 10 minutes later with a spectacular volley, leaving Malawi facing a difficult task against a Cameroon side growing in confidence.
Ngah Manga struck again in first-half stoppage time to complete her brace and put the final beyond Malawi’s reach.
The second goal came after Eto displayed impressive individual skill to round goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo before setting up Ngah Manga, who calmly finished to register her fifth goal of the tournament.
Malawi, who had surprised several opponents on their way to their first WAFCON final, struggled to find their attacking rhythm against a well-organised Cameroonian defence.
The Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, who had been central to Malawi’s impressive campaign, were closely monitored and failed to produce the attacking impact that had carried the team into the final.
Ngah Manga nearly completed her hat-trick shortly after the restart but missed from close range with the goal seemingly at her mercy.
Malawi came close to pulling one back after the hour mark when Tabitha Chawinga’s effort was saved by Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina. Chawinga also failed to convert the rebound, sending it wide.
The victory marks a remarkable resurgence for Cameroon, who missed the 2024 edition and initially failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament after suffering a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Algeria.
They eventually secured their place after the Confederation of African Football expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams, with Cameroon earning qualification based on their world ranking.
The triumph also ends Cameroon’s long wait for continental glory after three previous defeats in WAFCON finals.
The Indomitable Lionesses now become only the fourth country to lift the women’s continental title, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Cameroon will receive $2 million in prize money for their historic achievement and, together with Malawi, Algeria and hosts Morocco, will represent Africa at the 2027 Women’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Reflecting on the landmark victory, Ngah Manga said the triumph was the reward for years of hard work.
“We are very happy. We have been working so hard over all these years to get here. To finally be champions we are very proud,” she said.
