Cameroon finally ended years of final heartbreak while Malawi's fairytale debut captured a continent's imagination
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RABAT, Morocco — The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon are finally champions of Africa. For more than two decades they had chased this dream, through three painful final defeats, through the agony of watching Nigeria lift trophy after trophy. On Sunday night at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, they exorcised those demons in devastating fashion, dismantling debutants Malawi 3-0 to claim their first-ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations title.
The victory was emphatic, clinical, and sealed before halftime. For Malawi's Scorchers — the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at 153rd in the world — it was the end of a fairytale run that had captured the heart of an entire nation. But on this night, Cameroon's experience, defensive organization, and ruthless finishing proved too much.
A First-Half Masterclass
The final had barely settled when Cameroon struck. In the 20th minute, Marie Ngah Manga pounced on a loose ball from close range, nodding home to give the Lionesses the lead. The stadium erupted, but the best was yet to come.
Ten minutes later, Naomi Ndjoah Eto produced a moment of pure brilliance — a stunning first-time volley from a corner that left Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo with no chance. The Scorchers, who had built their campaign on attacking flair, suddenly found themselves chasing the game against a defence that had conceded just twice before the final.
Then came the killer blow. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Eto turned provider, rounding Sikelo before squaring for Ngah Manga to score her second of the night — her fifth goal of the tournament. At 3-0, the final was effectively over before the teams had even reached the dressing rooms for the half time break.
The Indomitable Lionesses brought that bad history to an end in the most emphatic way possible.
A history of heartbreak, finally laid to rest
Cameroon had been here before. Three times. In 2004, they lost 5-0 to Nigeria. In 2014 and again in 2016, the Super Falcons denied them once more. They failed to score in any of those finals. Ten years after losing the 2016 final on home soil, the Lionesses finally reached the summit of African women's football.
What makes this triumph even more remarkable is the journey. Cameroon actually failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Algeria. They only secured their place after CAF expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams, qualifying on world ranking. From there, they beat Ghana in the group stage, eliminated 10-time champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and defeated hosts Morocco on penalties in the semifinals.
They made the most of their second chance.
"We are very happy," Ngah Manga said after the match. "We have been working so hard over all these years to get here. To finally be champions we are very proud."
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who was named the tournament's Golden Glove winner after keeping yet another clean sheet, was overcome with emotion.
"I'm so happy. It's our first competition title and we won it," Bihina said after the match. "We are so happy because we worked so hard. We used the opportunity to become champions. My mentality is always to work very hard, to work very hard to help my team. I always give my best to win every game."
When asked about her growing fame, she smiled: "I could not imagine at the beginning of my career that people would watch me, appreciate me, and even want to have my shirt. We're gonna have a party tonight!"
Even Cameroon's most famous sporting son took notice. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, born in Cameroon, celebrated on social media: "CHAMPIONS OF AFRICA! Congratulations to our incredible Indomitable Lionesses! What a tournament from start to finish. Outstanding performances, courage, consistency and determination throughout the entire competition. You didn't just win the trophy, you earned it."
A Fairytale That Will Never Be Forgotten
For Malawi, the final result was a bitter pill to swallow. But nothing — not even a 3-0 defeat — could diminish what the Scorchers had achieved over the previous four weeks.
In their very first appearance at a major tournament, the lowest-ranked side in the competition did the unthinkable. They stunned defending champions Nigeria 3-2 in their opening match, beating the 10-time champions. They saw off Egypt 3-1, overcame Ghana 2-1 in the quarterfinals, and thrashed Algeria 3-1 in the semifinals to book their place in the final.
At the heart of it all were the Chawinga sisters — Tabitha and Temwa. The duo scored nine of Malawi's 12 goals, with Temwa finishing as the tournament's top scorer. They transformed a team of no-hopers into giant-killers.
"Temwa and I will never succeed without our teammates," Tabitha Chawinga said before the final. "When everyone performs to the best of their ability we can succeed."
"Our victories mean a lot to the people of Malawi." Added her sister Temwa.
In the final, however, Cameroon's defence smothered the sisters, denying them the space and time that had made them so devastating throughout the tournament. The Scorchers' best chance came just after the hour mark — Bihina saved Tabitha's low effort before Temwa fired the rebound wide. It wasn't to be.
Malawi coach Lovemore Fazili insisted before the match that his team were not underdogs. After the defeat, his pride in his players was unmistakable.
"This is a final, and we are also a big team," he had said on the eve of the match. His players proved him right — not just in the final, but in every match that took them there.
A Nation's Pride
Back home in Malawi, the Scorchers sparked something extraordinary. Veteran sports analyst Pirilani Kachinziri even called for a national holiday to honour the team's achievement. “The players have become national heroes, their remarkable run uniting a country in a way few sporting events ever have.”Kachinzari wrote on his socials.
"Nothing can take the shine off a tournament that has captured the heart of an entire nation," Malawian Nyasa Times wrote after the final.
Leticia Chinyamula, one of the Scorchers' stars, had declared before the final that the team's run was driven by "nothing less than a fight for the nation itself." They delivered on that promise, even in defeat.
A Historic First for Cameroon
The victory makes Cameroon just the fourth nation to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria (10 titles), Equatorial Guinea (two), and South Africa (one). They are also only the third nation to have won both the men's and women's Africa Cup of Nations, after Nigeria and South Africa.
The financial rewards are significant too — Cameroon walks away with $2 million in prize money, while Malawi receives $750,000 for their runners-up finish.
But for the players, the money was secondary. The achievement — finally being crowned champions of Africa — was everything.
"I feel like it's a dream," Ngah Manga reflected. "You know Cameroon have been working hard to have this moment and today for us to be champion of Africa is a very, very wonderful thing."
Eyes on Brazil
Both teams now look ahead to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. They will be joined by fellow WAFCON semifinalists Algeria and Morocco as Africa's representatives.
For Malawi, the World Cup will be another historic first. The question on everyone's lips is: can the Scorchers produce another remarkable run on the global stage?
When the dust settles and the pain of defeat in the final fades, Malawi will be able to celebrate a remarkable WAFCON debut and their first ever qualification to the Women's World Cup. For Malawi, this is very much the beginning of something, not the end. 2027 awaits.
For Cameroon, the World Cup offers a chance to build on this triumph. The Lionesses have finally broken their final curse. The monkey is off their back. Now they can dream bigger.
The final whistle at Moulay El Hassan Stadium brought an emotional conclusion to one of the most remarkable campaigns in WAFCON history. One team had finally broken through after years of heartbreak. The other had written a fairytale that will be told for generations.
In Rabat on Sunday night, African women's football had two winners. One lifted the trophy. The other lifted a nation's spirit. Neither will forget this night