Cameroon Claims Historic First WAFCON Title With Dominant 3-0 Victory Over Malawi

For decades, the story of Cameroonian women's football was defined by the final hurdle they could never quite clear. Three times they reached the summit of the continent, and three times they were turned away, watching rivals lift the trophy while they settled for silver. But the era of near-misses is officially over. On Sunday night in Rabat, Morocco, the Indomitable Lionesses finally broke their curse, delivering a ruthless 3-0 victory over tournament debutant Malawi to capture their first-ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship and cement their status as Africa's new powerhouse.[1]

The match was effectively decided in a devastating 25-minute first-half blitz that left the Cinderella story of the tournament in shock. Striker Marie Ngah Manga, who earned Player of the Match honors for her relentless attacking presence, opened the scoring in the 20th minute. She reacted quickest in the penalty area, nodding home a rebound after Grace Mendoua's initial header struck the crossbar. Ten minutes later, Paris Saint-Germain star Naomi Ndjoah Eto doubled the advantage, swiveling sharply in the box to punish a failed clearance from a corner kick and put Malawi firmly on the back foot.[1][3]

Deep into first-half stoppage time, the pair connected to deliver the final, decisive blow. Eto beat Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo to a loose ball on the wing and delivered a perfectly weighted cross for Ngah Manga. The striker easily headed the ball into an empty net, completing her brace and sending Cameroon into the locker room with an insurmountable 3-0 lead. It was a breathtaking display of offensive efficiency from a team that had previously relied heavily on its defense to navigate the knockout stages.[1][6]

The victory represents a massive redemption arc for Cameroon, who initially failed to even qualify for the previous edition of the tournament before the Confederation of African Football expanded the field from 12 to 16 teams. They capitalized on that lifeline by building an impenetrable defensive wall. Anchored by the heroic performances of 22-year-old goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, the Lionesses conceded just two goals in the entire competition and kept a clean sheet throughout the knockout stages, including a tense penalty shootout victory over host nation Morocco in the semifinals.[2]

For Malawi, the heavy defeat in the final does little to diminish a historic, paradigm-shifting campaign. Ranked 153rd in the world—making them the lowest-ranked FIFA team ever to reach a WAFCON final—the Scorchers arrived in Morocco as massive underdogs. Yet they stunned the continent by eliminating 10-time champion Nigeria and arriving at the final as the tournament's highest-scoring team. Their unprecedented run was driven almost entirely by the attacking brilliance and relentless pace of sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga.[2][5]

Cameroon's ultimate test on Sunday was containing that exact threat, and their tactical execution was flawless. The Lionesses blanketed Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga with double-teams, cutting off the midfield supply lines and limiting Malawi to just two shots on goal for the entire match. Despite the quiet final, Temwa Chawinga's five tournament goals and superior assist tally earned her the WAFCON Golden Boot, edging out Orlando Pride standout Barbra Banda of Zambia for the individual honor.[2][4]

As the final whistle blew, the Cameroonian bench stormed the pitch at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in a wave of green and yellow. Incoming Washington Spirit midfielder Monique Ngock was named the Woman of the Competition for her commanding presence in the center of the park. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe were on hand to present the medals, officially welcoming Cameroon into the exclusive club of WAFCON champions alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa.[3]

The stakes of this tournament extended far beyond continental bragging rights. By reaching the semifinals, both Cameroon and Malawi had already punched their tickets to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. For Malawi, it will be a monumental first-ever appearance on the global stage. But for Cameroon, the narrative has fundamentally shifted; they will arrive in South America no longer as challengers hoping for a breakthrough, but as the undisputed, reigning queens of African football.[2][5]