Cameroon have finally conquered Africa, ending decades of near misses with a commanding 3-0 victory over Malawi in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat.
The Indomitable Lionesses, beaten in three previous finals, produced a ruthless first-half display to deny Malawi a fairytale ending and lift their maiden continental title. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice, while Naomi Eto added the other as Cameroon turned the final into a one-sided contest before the break.
Malawi, the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, had entered the final as one of the competition’s biggest surprises. Ranked 153rd in the world, the Scorchers had eliminated defending champions Nigeria before overcoming Egypt, Ghana and Algeria to reach their first-ever WAFCON final.
Their hopes rested heavily on the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, whose pace, movement and attacking imagination had caused problems throughout the tournament. They started brightly against Cameroon, repeatedly looking for openings through the two forwards, but could not convert their early pressure into a goal.
Cameroon gradually took control and struck in the 20th minute. A dangerous cross eventually resulted in a header being tipped onto the crossbar by Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo. Ngah Manga reacted quickest, nodding the rebound into the net to put the Indomitable Lionesses ahead.
The advantage quickly became two.
On the half-hour mark, Malawi failed to clear their lines from a corner, allowing Eto to collect the ball with her back to goal. She turned sharply before firing a superb first-time effort into the bottom corner, leaving Sikelo with little chance.
Cameroon then delivered another blow deep into first-half stoppage time. Eto raced beyond the Malawi goalkeeper and squared the ball across the face of goal, allowing Ngah Manga to head into an unguarded net for her fifth goal of the tournament.
Ngah Manga had an opportunity to complete her hat-trick shortly after the restart but, after rounding Sikelo, sent her effort wide from close range.
Malawi improved after the interval and created their best opportunity when Tabitha Chawinga tested Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina with a low effort. Temwa Chawinga reacted to the rebound but could only shoot wide.
Bihina, who had been outstanding throughout the knockout stages, was rarely troubled thereafter as Cameroon comfortably managed the game to the final whistle.
The triumph is remarkable given Cameroon’s difficult route to the tournament. They had lost both legs of their qualifying tie against Algeria and initially missed out, only returning after CAF expanded the finals from 12 to 16 teams, with the highest-ranked eliminated sides receiving places.
Their resilience eventually carried them past Nigeria, hosts Morocco and now Malawi.
The victory brings an end to painful final defeats in 2004, 2014 and 2016. For Malawi, the dream ended at the final hurdle, but their extraordinary run has announced the Scorchers as a rising force in African women’s football.
Cameroon, Malawi, Algeria and Morocco will represent Africa at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with South Africa and Ghana still in contention through the intercontinental play-offs.
