The Indomitable Lionesses delivered a performance worthy of champions at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, putting the final beyond Malawi’s reach before half-time. Marie Ngah was at the heart of Cameroon’s historic triumph, scoring twice, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added another as Cameroon produced a devastating opening 45 minutes.
For Cameroon, the victory represents the end of a long and painful wait for continental glory. The Indomitable Lionesses had previously reached three WAFCON finals but walked away empty-handed on every occasion, with Nigeria ending their dreams in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
Their first heartbreak came in 2004 when they were beaten 5-0 by Nigeria. Ten years later, the two nations met again in the final, with Nigeria claiming a 2-0 victory. Cameroon had another opportunity in 2016, this time on home soil, but Nigeria once again stood between them and the trophy, winning 1-0.
Those defeats became part of Cameroon’s WAFCON story, making Sunday’s triumph all the more significant. After years of coming close, the Lionesses finally had their moment.
Their road to the title was anything but straightforward. Cameroon had initially missed out on qualification for the tournament before being included following the expansion of the competition to 16 teams. They seized their opportunity, going unbeaten in the group stage before producing a series of impressive knockout performances.
They eliminated defending champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals before overcoming hosts Morocco in a dramatic semi-final that was decided on penalties. That victory set up a fourth WAFCON final appearance and another opportunity to rewrite their history.
This time, there would be no heartbreak.
Cameroon took control of the final in the 20th minute when Ngah opened the scoring. Eto doubled the advantage shortly afterwards, before Ngah struck again in first-half stoppage time to send Cameroon into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Malawi, meanwhile, saw their remarkable fairytale campaign come to an end, but their runners-up finish will go down as one of the biggest achievements in the country’s women’s football history.
The Scorchers were making their WAFCON debut and somehow went all the way to the final, defeating some of Africa’s established football nations along the way. Their attacking threat, led by the Chawinga sisters, helped transform Malawi from tournament debutants into genuine title contenders.
Their journey included a memorable group-stage victory over Nigeria before they continued their run through the knockout stages, eventually reaching the final after beating Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals.
Although Malawi could not complete their extraordinary run by lifting the trophy, finishing second on their first appearance represents a landmark moment for the Scorchers and Malawian women’s football.
Cameroon’s triumph also places them among an exclusive group of nations to have won the women’s continental title. They become only the fourth country to lift the WAFCON trophy, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
From years of final heartbreak to finally becoming African champions, Cameroon have rewritten their WAFCON history in spectacular fashion. For Malawi, their historic run has shown that they belong among Africa’s best.
One team arrived chasing a title that had repeatedly slipped away, while the other arrived with nothing to lose on their tournament debut. In the end, Cameroon got the ending they had waited years for, while Malawi left Morocco with a new chapter of their own to celebrate.
The 2026 WAFCON final may have belonged to Cameroon, but both nations have left their mark on African women’s football.