Cameroon beat Malawi 3-0 to win the first WAFCON title.

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Marie Ngah Manga scored twice as Cameroon defeated tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in Rabat to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, ending three previous final defeats.

RABAT, Morocco — Cameroon won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time on Sunday, beating tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Ndjoah Eto added the other goal as the Indomitable Lionesses settled the final with three first-half strikes, ending a run of defeats in their three previous appearances in the continental decider.

The victory makes Cameroon the fourth nation to win the African women’s championship, after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. It also completes an unusual route to the title for a team that initially failed to qualify for the tournament before being admitted following its expansion from 12 to 16 teams.

Cameroon beat Malawi 3-0 to win the first WAFCON title. Nukunya

Ngah Manga puts Cameroon in control.

Cameroon took the lead in the 20th minute when Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo was unable to fully deal with a cross into the penalty area, allowing Ngah Manga to convert from close range.

The advantage doubled 10 minutes later.

Malawi failed to clear a corner, and Eto capitalised, scoring with a first-time finish to put Cameroon firmly in control.

The third goal arrived three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Eto broke beyond Sikelo before supplying Ngah Manga, who headed into an exposed goal for her second of the match. CAF’s official account confirms that Cameroon scored all three goals before half-time. Ngah Manga’s brace took her tournament tally to five, level with Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga and Zambia’s Barbra Banda, according to BBC Sport.

Cameroon contains Malawi’s attacking threat.

Malawi entered the final after a breakthrough debut campaign driven partly by the attacking influence of sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga. The Scorchers had emerged as one of the tournament’s most productive attacking teams despite beginning the competition as its lowest-ranked nation, at 153rd in the world.

Cameroon, however, largely restricted the Chawinga sisters and protected the advantage established during the opening 45 minutes. One of Malawi’s clearest second-half opportunities came when Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved a low effort from Tabitha Chawinga before Temwa sent the rebound wide. Cameroon managed the remainder of the contest without conceding, completing a third successive clean sheet in the knockout stages.

The title ends more than two decades of final disappointment.

Sunday’s victory ended a long wait for one of the established teams in African women’s football.

Cameroon had previously reached the WAFCON final in 2004, 2014 and 2016 and lost to Nigeria on each occasion. They had also failed to score in those three finals. The circumstances surrounding their 2026 triumph make the result particularly notable.

Cameroon missed the previous WAFCON and initially failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament. They were subsequently admitted on the strength of their world ranking after the Confederation of African Football expanded the finals from 12 to 16 teams. CAF’s pre-final records showed Cameroon were appearing at WAFCON for the 13th time, while Malawi were making their tournament debut.

Nigeria and Morocco fall on Cameroon’s route to the final.

Cameroon’s route to the trophy included victories over some of the continent’s strongest teams.

After beating Ghana during the group stage, the Indomitable Lionesses eliminated 10-time champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals. They then faced hosts Morocco in the semi-finals. The match finished goalless before Cameroon prevailed 3-1 in the penalty shootout.

Goalkeeper Bihina was central to that knockout run.

She made nine saves against Nigeria before saving an extra-time penalty and three more spot kicks in the shootout against Morocco. Cameroon subsequently completed their three knockout matches against Nigeria, Morocco and Malawi without conceding.

Malawi leave Morocco after historic debut

The final brought Malawi’s attempt to win WAFCON on debut to an end, but their run to the decider represented a significant breakthrough for the country’s women’s national team.

The Scorchers reached the final after beating Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals and became the first Southern African debutants to reach a WAFCON final.

Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga played central roles in that campaign, helping Malawi progress from tournament newcomers to continental finalists.

The final demonstrated the difference between the teams on the night, with Cameroon converting their first-half opportunities while preventing Malawi from producing the attacking threat that had characterised much of their tournament.

Malawi, nevertheless, leave Morocco with their first appearance in a WAFCON final and qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Why this matters

Cameroon’s victory is significant beyond the result of Sunday’s final.

The title ends more than two decades of near misses for a national team that had reached three previous finals without winning the competition. It also means four different countries have now won Africa’s premier women’s football championship.

The finalists themselves illustrate the changing competitive landscape. Cameroon reached the tournament only after its expansion, while Malawi progressed to the final on their first appearance.

That does not by itself establish a permanent shift in the balance of African women’s football. Nigeria remains the competition’s dominant historical force, while Morocco, South Africa and other countries have made substantial investments in their women’s programmes.

But a final contested by two countries that had never previously won WAFCON provides further evidence that major tournament opportunities are extending beyond the teams that have historically dominated the competition.

For Cameroon, the immediate significance is simpler: after three unsuccessful finals, the Indomitable Lionesses are African champions.

Cameroon and Malawi qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Attention will now turn towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Cameroon and Malawi have qualified alongside fellow WAFCON semi-finalists Morocco and Algeria.

For Malawi, World Cup qualification extends a tournament in which the team moved from continental debutants to finalists. Cameroon will approach the global tournament from a different position. The Indomitable Lionesses have finally converted years of continental competitiveness into their first African championship.