Cameroon Sweep Aside Malawi to Win First-Ever WAFCON Title
The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon have been crowned champions of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating Malawi 3–0 in the final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday.
The victory secured Cameroon’s first-ever WAFCON title and completed a remarkable turnaround for a team that initially failed to qualify for the tournament.
Marie Ngah Manga scored twice, while Naomi Eto added another as Cameroon produced a dominant display to end Malawi’s impressive run in the competition. The result also saw Cameroon become only the fourth country to lift the WAFCON trophy, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Cameroon’s journey to the final was particularly remarkable. The Lionesses had lost both legs of their final qualifying-round fixture against Algeria and appeared to have missed out on the tournament. However, their fortunes changed after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams, allowing Cameroon to return to the tournament.
In the final, they faced a Malawi side making its debut in the competition and featuring the highly rated Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa. Despite Malawi’s attacking threat, Cameroon quickly established control and never looked back.
The breakthrough came in the 20th minute when a cross deflected off Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and struck the crossbar. Ngah reacted quickest to the loose ball, heading the rebound into the net to give Cameroon the lead.
Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage with a superb individual finish. Receiving the ball with her back to goal inside the penalty area, she turned sharply before sending a low shot into the far corner.
Cameroon struck again just before half-time. Eto turned provider this time, delivering a curling cross into the area which Ngah met with a powerful header to score her second goal of the night and fourth of the tournament.
Malawi tried to mount a comeback after the restart, with Temwa Chawinga coming close following a goalmouth scramble and firing narrowly wide. However, Cameroon remained organised at the back and successfully frustrated the Scorchers’ attacking efforts.
The Lionesses maintained their composure until the final whistle, securing a convincing 3–0 victory and etching their names into WAFCON history as first-time champions.
For Cameroon, the triumph represents the culmination of an extraordinary campaign that began with disappointment in the qualifiers but ended with the country celebrating its first continental crown in women’s football.