Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have finally conquered Africa, defeating Malawi 3–0 to win their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in a historic final in Rabat.
The victory on Sunday, August 16, ended Cameroon’s long wait for the continental crown after three previous unsuccessful appearances in the WAFCON final.
Cameroon had previously reached the final in 2004, 2014 and 2016, losing all three times to Nigeria. The Indomitable Lionesses had also failed to score in each of those three title deciders.
But there was no heartbreak this time.
Cameroon produced a devastating first-half performance at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring three times to effectively settle the contest before the interval.
Marie Ngah opened the scoring before doubling her tally, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto scored the other goal to give Cameroon a commanding 3–0 advantage at half-time.
The second half produced no further goals as Cameroon comfortably protected their advantage to lift the trophy for the first time.
The triumph also made Cameroon the fourth different nation to win the WAFCON, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa in the competition’s roll of honour.
The achievement was particularly significant given the circumstances of Cameroon’s qualification for the expanded 2026 tournament. CAF increased the competition from 12 to 16 teams, with Cameroon among four additional nations selected to complete the field after the original qualification process.
Once given the opportunity, however, the Indomitable Lionesses seized it spectacularly.
Their route to the title included a 1–0 quarter-final victory over defending champions Nigeria and a dramatic semi-final triumph over hosts Morocco on penalties after a goalless draw.
For Malawi, the final marked the end of an extraordinary debut campaign rather than a failure.
The Scorchers became the first Southern African team to reach the WAFCON final on their tournament debut. They secured their place in the decider after defeating Algeria 3–1 in the semi-final.
CAF’s pre-final statistics had highlighted the remarkable nature of Malawi’s run. The Scorchers had scored 12 goals before the final — the highest tally of any team at that stage — while Cameroon had conceded only two goals throughout their campaign.
Cameroon’s historic triumph therefore represents more than a first continental title. It is the culmination of years of near-misses and final disappointments, finally replaced by a commanding performance on the biggest stage.
The Indomitable Lionesses have now written Cameroon into the select group of nations that have lifted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
And they did it emphatically — with three goals, a clean sheet and a historic first crown.
