Cameroon’s women’s national team finally have the continental crown that had repeatedly slipped from their grasp.
The Indomitable Lionesses defeated Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on Sunday to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time, ending years of disappointment on the biggest stage.
The breakthrough came emphatically at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, where Cameroon settled the contest before halftime.
Marie Ngah put the Lionesses ahead in the 20th minute, and Naomi Eto extended the lead nine minutes later. Ngah then returned in stoppage time to score her second of the night, leaving Malawi with a mountain to climb after a devastating first half.
The Scorchers, appearing in their first-ever WAFCON final, tried to respond after the restart, with sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga carrying much of Malawi’s attacking threat. But Cameroon remained organised at the back and refused to surrender their advantage.
Before Sunday’s triumph, the Lionesses had reached the WAFCON final three times and lost on each occasion. Nigeria had denied them twice, including in 2014 and 2016, leaving Cameroon with a reputation for coming close without completing the job.
Cameroon’s journey to the trophy was anything but straightforward. They had initially missed qualification after losing their final qualifying tie against Algeria, only to receive a lifeline when they were selected for the expanded 16-team tournament on the strength of their FIFA ranking.
The Lionesses progressed through the group stage with victories over Mali and Ghana, before producing one of the tournament’s biggest shocks by eliminating defending champions Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
Their semi-final against hosts Morocco was another test of nerve. After a tense encounter, Cameroon prevailed on penalties to book their place in the final.
Malawi’s campaign, meanwhile, ended in defeat but remains one of the tournament’s biggest success stories.
The Scorchers announced themselves with a stunning 3-2 victory over defending champions Nigeria in their opening match. They continued their remarkable run all the way to the final, while also securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cameroon’s triumph also places them in an exclusive group of nations to have won the women’s continental championship, alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
More significantly, Cameroon have now conquered Africa in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Joining Nigeria and South Africa as nations to have achieved that feat.
For a team that had spent years watching the trophy disappear at the final hurdle, Morocco provided a different ending.
This time, Cameroon did not come close. They finished the job.
