A first-half blitz in Rabat
Cameroon are the champions of Africa. The Indomitable Lionesses beat Malawi 3-0 in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday, winning the title for the first time in their history.
All three goals came in the first half. Marie Ngah Manga opened the scoring with a close-range header in the 20th minute. Naomi Eto doubled the lead with a superb volley on the half-hour mark. In the third minute of added time, Eto rounded Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and set up Ngah Manga for her second goal of the final and her fifth of the tournament.
Malawi's fairytale run falls short
Malawi were the surprise package of the tournament. Ranked 153rd in the world, the lowest of any team at WAFCON 2026, they reached the final on the back of the attacking form of the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa. But the Cameroon defense marked the pair out of the game, and the Southern Africans could not find a way back after the early goals.
Despite the defeat, Malawi's run to the final was the best result in the country's football history, and their fans celebrated the team's achievement long after the final whistle.
A title decades in the making
Cameroon had reached the WAFCON final three times before, in 2004, 2014 and 2016, and lost all three, each time against Nigeria. This victory ends that painful streak.
The win sparked celebrations across Cameroon and beyond. Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who was born in Cameroon, congratulated the team on social media. For the players, the title caps a tournament in which they grew stronger with every match.