Cameroon wins first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title after 3-0 victory over Malawi

Herz — Sport Desk · 16 August 2026 at 21:31 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What we know

Cameroon defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat to win its first Women's Africa Cup of Nations, also known as WAFCON. This tournament brings together the national women's football teams of African nations.

According to the BBC, Marie Ngah Manga opened the scoring with a close-range header in the 20th minute. Naomi Eto doubled the lead with a volley in the 30th minute.

In the third minute of added time in the first half, Eto rounded goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo. She then set up Ngah Manga for the third goal.

A dominant first-half performance

Cameroon scored all three goals before half-time. Ngah Manga's brace tied her with Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda as the tournament's top scorers.

Three minutes into the second half, Ngah Manga rounded Sikelo but shot wide from six yards. She had missed the chance to complete a hat-trick.

Malawi had a chance shortly after the hour mark. Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina parried a low shot from Tabitha Chawinga, before Temwa Chawinga fired the rebound wide.

Sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga had led Malawi's attack to the final. The Cameroon defence contained them effectively during the decisive match.

The unexpected runs of both finalists

Malawi was competing in WAFCON for the first time. Ranked 153rd globally, it was the lowest-ranked team in the 2026 edition.

Cameroon had missed the 2024 edition. It then failed in the second qualifying round for 2026, losing 3-1 to Algeria across two matches.

Cameroon eventually gained entry to the tournament thanks to its world ranking. This was following the expansion of the final tournament from 12 to 16 teams.

The expansion was decided by the Confederation of African Football, or CAF, the organization representing African national football federations.

First title after three previous final defeats

Before this victory, Cameroon had lost three Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals. The success in Rabat ends that streak.

Cameroon becomes the fourth nation to win the tournament. It joins Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa on the honour roll.