Cameroon beat Malawi 3-0 in Rabat to win first Wafcon title
Cameroon defeated Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on 16 August 2026 to secure their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title, with Marie Ngah Manga scoring twice and Naomi Eto also on the scoresheet.
Malawi were making their Wafcon debut and entered the tournament as the lowest-ranked side at 153rd in the world, while Cameroon had missed the 2024 edition after failing to qualify, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Algeria in their second-round tie. The Indomitable Lionesses only reached these finals because the Confederation of African Football expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams and Cameroon advanced on the basis of their world ranking. Prior to this win, Cameroon had lost three Wafcon finals; the title brings the Central Africans $2m (£1.48m) in prize money and makes them the fourth nation to lift the trophy after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
The scoring opened in the 20th minute when Marie Ngah Manga converted a close-range header to give Cameroon the lead, and Naomi Eto doubled the advantage with a volley around the half-hour mark. Cameroon extended their lead in the third minute of first-half added time after Eto rounded Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and provided the assist for Ngah Manga to make it 3-0.
Three minutes into the second half Ngah Manga missed a clear chance to complete a hat-trick when, after going past Sikelo, she shot wide from six yards with the goal unguarded. Malawi produced a notable chance just after the hour when Cameroon's goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved a low effort from Tabitha Chawinga, and Temwa Chawinga then turned and fired the rebound wide.
Malawi had reached the final largely on the back of the attacking work of the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, but the Cameroon defence contained those threats across the match. Ngah Manga's second goal in the final moved her level with Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda in the tournament's golden boot standings.
Both Cameroon and Malawi have qualified for the 2027 Women's Fifa World Cup in Brazil, joining fellow Wafcon semi-finalists Algeria and Morocco.
