Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have won their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title after defeating debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday.
Cameroon delivered a dominant first-half performance at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring all three goals before the break to secure a historic continental triumph.
Marie Manga opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a header before Naomi Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage nine minutes later.
Manga then completed her brace in first-half stoppage time, giving the Indomitable Lionesses a commanding 3-0 lead at the interval.
Malawi, appearing at the continental championship for the first time, tried to mount a comeback after the restart. However, the Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, were unable to find a way through Cameroon’s defence.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina also played a key role in preserving Cameroon’s clean sheet as the Indomitable Lionesses comfortably saw out the match to lift the continental crown.
The victory ended Cameroon’s long wait for the WAFCON title after three previous defeats in the final.
The Indomitable Lionesses had finished runners-up in 2004, 2014 and 2016, losing all three finals to Nigeria, before finally breaking their jinx in Morocco.
Cameroon’s triumph makes them the fourth nation to win the WAFCON, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
The achievement also makes Cameroon only the third African country, after Nigeria and South Africa, to win both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles.
For Malawi, the defeat brought an end to a remarkable debut campaign. The Scorchers stunned defending champions Nigeria in the group stage before eliminating Ghana and Algeria in the knockout rounds to reach their first WAFCON final.
Cameroon’s historic victory brings the 2026 WAFCON to a close, with Algeria claiming the bronze medal after defeating hosts Morocco in the third-place playoff.
