Cameroon beat debutants Malawi to win their first WAFCON
After three lost finals, the Indomitable Lionesses beat Malawi 3-0 in Rabat.
Key points
- Cameroon beat Malawi 3-0 in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat on 16 August 2026, winning the title for the first time after losing three previous finals.
- Marie Ngah scored twice and Naomi Eto once; Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world, were playing at their first WAFCON.
- Cameroon are the fourth different winner since 1998; both finalists plus Morocco and Algeria qualified for the Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Cameroon are champions of Africa. The Indomitable Lionesses beat Malawi 3-0 in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat, Morocco, on 16 August 2026, winning the title for the first time.
Fourth time lucky
Cameroon had reached three previous WAFCON finals and lost them all. This time there was no doubt. Marie Ngah scored in the 20th minute, Naomi Eto added a second on the half hour and Ngah made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented the medals.
Malawi's remarkable run
The runners-up were the story of the tournament. Malawi were playing at their first WAFCON, ranked 153rd in the world and 32nd in Africa, and still reached the final.
A more open competition
Cameroon are only the fourth different winner since the tournament began in 1998. Nigeria have won a record ten titles, Equatorial Guinea two and South Africa one.
The tournament was also a qualifying route for the next Women's World Cup, to be held in Brazil. Both finalists and the two beaten semi-finalists, Morocco and Algeria, qualified.
Why it matters
A new champion and a debutant finalist suggest a more competitive women's game across the continent. It caps a year in which African football made headlines from the disputed men's AFCON final to a record men's World Cup.
Sources
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