Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have won their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title after defeating debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat, Morocco.
Cameroon took control of the match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring all three goals before half-time to seal a historic victory.
Marie Manga opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a header before Naomi Eto doubled Cameroon’s lead nine minutes later.
Manga struck again in first-half stoppage time to complete her brace and give Cameroon a commanding 3-0 advantage at the break.
Malawi responded with greater urgency after the restart but struggled to find a way through Cameroon’s well-organised defence. The Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, were unable to inspire a comeback.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina also produced a composed performance to preserve Cameroon’s clean sheet as the Indomitable Lionesses comfortably saw out the match.
The victory ended Cameroon’s long wait for the continental women’s 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 claiming the trophy in Morocco.
Cameroon become the fourth country to win the WAFCON, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
The triumph also makes Cameroon only the third African nation, after Nigeria and South Africa, to win both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles.
For Malawi, the defeat ended a remarkable debut campaign in which the Scorchers overcame several established teams to reach their first WAFCON final.
Malawi had earlier stunned defending champions Nigeria in the group stage before eliminating Ghana and Algeria in the knockout rounds.
The 2026 WAFCON concluded with Algeria securing the bronze medal after defeating hosts Morocco in the third-place play-off.
