Cameroon ended years of disappointment on Sunday as they swept aside tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in Rabat to win their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title. The Indomitable Lionesses produced a dominant first-half display at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, scoring three times before the break to put the final beyond Malawi and finally lift the trophy after three previous defeats in the WAFCON final. Marie Ngah Manga was the star of the night, scoring twice, while Naomi Eto added a spectacular goal as Cameroon turned their experience into a commanding performance. Malawi, the lowest-ranked team at the tournament at 153rd in the world, had arrived at the final as one of the competition’s biggest stories. The Scorchers were making their WAFCON debut but had already beaten defending champions Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Algeria on their way to the final. ALSO READ: Cameroon, Malawi battle for first WAFCON crown Their unexpected run was largely driven by sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, who had combined for 9 goals before the final. But against Cameroon, the sisters found a defence determined to deny them the space they had enjoyed throughout the tournament. Malawi started brightly, with the pace and power of the Chawinga sisters causing Cameroon problems in the opening stages. However, Cameroon gradually took control and broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. A cross was headed against goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and came back off the crossbar. Manga Ngah reacted quickest, heading the rebound into the net to give Cameroon the lead and score her fourth goal of the tournament. The goal changed the momentum of the final. Cameroon grew in confidence while Malawi were forced to commit more players forward in search of an equaliser. That created space for the Indomitable Lionesses to exploit, and they doubled their advantage 9 minutes later. Eto produced one of the outstanding moments of the final when she received the ball with her back to goal, turned sharply and unleashed a superb volley into the corner of the net. Sikelo had no chance as Cameroon moved 2-0 ahead in the 29th minute. Malawi needed a response, but instead Cameroon struck again just before the interval. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Eto delivered a dangerous cross into the area. Manga Ngah rose to meet it and headed beyond Sikelo for her second goal of the night, giving Cameroon a 3-0 lead at half-time. ALSO READ: CAF commits record $5.8m prize pool to Women's AFCON The second half offered Malawi an opportunity to restore some pride, and they came close on several occasions. Manga Ngah had the chance to complete her hat-trick three minutes after the restart when she went around Sikelo and found herself with an open goal from close range. However, she fired wide. Malawi then produced their best opportunity of the match shortly after the hour mark. Tabitha Chawinga saw a low effort saved by Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina. The rebound fell back to her, but she could only fire the second attempt wide as Cameroon survived the danger. The Scorchers continued to look for a way back into the game, but Cameroon’s defence remained organised and disciplined. The Central Africans protected their three-goal advantage until the final whistle. The triumph represents a remarkable turnaround for Cameroon. The Indomitable Lionesses missed the 2024 WAFCON after losing 3-1 on aggregate to Algeria in the final qualifying round. They eventually secured a place in the expanded 16-team tournament through their world ranking, after CAF increased the number of finalists from 12 to 16. Cameroon had also suffered defeats in their previous three WAFCON finals, losing to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016. They had scored no goals across those three finals, making Sunday's breakthrough even more significant. Their first WAFCON crown now puts Cameroon among the continent's champions. They become only the fourth nation to win the competition, joining record 10-time champions Nigeria, two-time winners Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. Not only did the Indomitable Lionesses lift the trophy, but they also claimed individual honours, with Bihina named Best Goalkeeper and Monique Ngock voted Best Player of the tournament, while Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga won the Golden Boot. The victory also earns Cameroon $2 million (over Rwf 2.94 billion) in prize money and confirms their place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. For Malawi, there was disappointment, but little to diminish from an extraordinary debut campaign. Ranked 153rd in the world at the start of the tournament, the Scorchers defied expectations to reach their first continental final. Their run also earned them a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, alongside Cameroon, Algeria and hosts Morocco, who completed the tournament’s four World Cup qualifiers. But in Rabat, it was Cameroon’s night. After years of near misses and final heartbreak, the Indomitable Lionesses finally had their moment. Three first-half goals, two from Ngah Manga and one from Eto, were enough to deliver Cameroon their long-awaited WAFCON crown and write a new chapter in the history of African women’s football.
