Cameroon have been crowned champions of Africa for the first time after defeating tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat on Sunday.

The Indomitable Lionesses produced a ruthless first-half performance at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring all three goals before the break to bring an end to Malawi’s remarkable debut campaign. Blueprint reports

Marie Gisele Ngah Manga scored twice, while Naomi Eto added the other goal as Cameroon finally ended their long wait for the continental crown.

Ngah strikes to put Cameroon ahead

Cameroon started the final with purpose and quickly put Malawi under pressure.

The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute when Ngah Manga found the back of the net to give the Indomitable Lionesses a 1-0 lead.

The goal settled Cameroon, who continued to dictate the tempo and put the Malawian defence under sustained pressure.

Malawi had entered the final as one of the tournament’s biggest surprise packages after becoming the first Southern African side to reach the final on its WAFCON debut.

However, Cameroon showed why they had reached the championship match after overcoming hosts Morocco on penalties in the semi-final.

Eto doubles advantage

Cameroon doubled their advantage around the half-hour mark through Naomi Eto.

Eto’s goal gave the four-time finalists a commanding 2-0 lead and left Malawi facing a huge challenge to get back into the contest.

The Scorchers had previously relied heavily on the attacking threat of sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, who had combined for nine of Malawi’s 12 goals going into the final.

But Cameroon successfully limited their influence, preventing Malawi from producing the attacking display that had carried them to the championship match.

Ngah completes first-half rout

Cameroon were not finished.

Ngah Manga struck again in first-half stoppage time to complete her brace and send the Indomitable Lionesses into the interval with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The three-goal cushion effectively placed the trophy within Cameroon’s grasp after a devastating opening 45 minutes.

Malawi needed an extraordinary comeback in the second half to overturn the deficit, but Cameroon remained disciplined and refused to allow the Scorchers back into the match.

Malawi’s fairytale campaign ends

For Malawi, the final represented the culmination of one of the most remarkable campaigns in WAFCON history.

The Scorchers were making their first appearance at the tournament and went all the way to the final, defeating Algeria 3-1 in the semi-final to book their place in the title decider.

The Chawinga sisters were particularly influential throughout the competition, with Temwa and Tabitha combining for nine goals before the final.

Despite their defeat, Malawi’s run to the final represents a landmark achievement for women’s football in the country.

They also became the first Southern African team to reach the WAFCON final on its debut.

Cameroon finally break WAFCON jinx

The triumph is particularly significant for Cameroon, who had previously reached the WAFCON final on four occasions without winning the title.

The Indomitable Lionesses lost the finals in 2004, 2014 and 2016, making Sunday’s victory a historic breakthrough for one of Africa’s traditional women’s football powers.

Their success also means Cameroon become the fourth country to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The victory comes after another dramatic campaign in which Cameroon eliminated hosts Morocco in a penalty shootout following a goalless semi-final.

Morocco had been seeking a third consecutive appearance in the final but were denied by the Indomitable Lionesses.

Nigeria surrender title

Cameroon’s triumph also means Nigeria have surrendered the WAFCON crown they won in the previous edition.

The Super Falcons, who entered Morocco as defending champions and the competition’s record 10-time winners, were eliminated in the knockout stages and subsequently saw their hopes of retaining the title disappear.

Nigeria’s exit also meant that the final would produce a new champion regardless of the outcome, with both Cameroon and Malawi chasing their first WAFCON title.

For Cameroon, the wait is finally over.

After years of near misses and three previous final defeats, the Indomitable Lionesses have now etched their names into African women’s football history.

The Indomitable Lionesses are finally African champions.