Cameroon Claim First WAFCON Title With 3-0 Victory Over Malawi

Cameroon secured their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations trophy by defeating Malawi 3-0 behind a first-half brace from Marie Ngah Manga.

Cameroon secured their first ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday, defeating Malawi 3-0 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The Indomitable Lionesses established a commanding lead during a one-sided first half, featuring goals from Marie Ngah Manga in the 20th minute and Naomi Eto in the 30th minute, before Ngah Manga added her second in the third minute of first-half stoppage time (45+3'). This victory follows Cameroon's history as three-time defeated finalists in previous editions of the tournament.

First-Half Dominance in Rabat

The scoring opened at the 20-minute mark when Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo failed to cleanly handle a cross from Grace Mendoua. Sikelo pushed the ball onto her own crossbar, allowing Marie Ngah Manga to convert the rebound with a close-range header. Ten minutes later, Cameroon doubled their advantage following a corner delivered by Achta Toko Njoya. After the Malawi defense failed to clear the ball, Naomi Eto executed a scissors kick to beat Sikelo.

Just before the break, Cameroon capitalized on a defensive error to make it 3-0. Eto, the Sassuolo attacker, rounded an advancing Sikelo on the wing and provided a calm cross for Ngah Manga. The striker finished into the open net to secure her brace. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Malawi entered the tournament ranked 153rd in the world and reached the final after defeating Nigeria and Ghana during their debut campaign.

Defensive Resilience Against Temwa Chawinga

Cameroon’s defensive unit entered the final having not conceded a single goal during the knockout stages. Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who earned Player of the Match honors in previous rounds against Nigeria and Morocco, maintained the clean sheet with several key interventions. In the opening ten minutes, Bihina saved low at the feet of Kansas City Current striker Temwa Chawinga. She also denied an attempt from Chikondi Gondwe in the 14th minute to prevent Malawi from taking an early lead.

Malawi’s attacking threats, led by tournament top scorer Temwa Chawinga and her sister Tabitha Chawinga, struggled to find the target. Tabitha sent a shot wide of the right-hand post shortly after the second-half restart. Later in the match, a combination between the sisters resulted in Temwa firing wide of Bihina’s post as the Scorchers attempted to mount a comeback.

Second Half Control and VAR Decisions

The Indomitable Lionesses remained in control throughout the second period as Malawi’s energy levels dropped. Ngah Manga missed an opportunity for a hat-trick when she rounded Sikelo but sent her effort into the side netting of an open goal. A subsequent VAR review for a potential penalty following that sequence resulted in no foul being awarded. Grace Mendoua also saw a 72nd-minute effort from a tight angle fly over the crossbar.

In the final moments of the match, 37-year-old veteran Gabrielle Onguene entered the game as a 91st-minute substitute for Ngah Manga. Onguene, who played in Cameroon's 2016 final loss to Nigeria, appeared to score a fourth goal after racing through a gap in the defense to beat Sikelo. However, the goal was ultimately overturned by VAR for offside. The match concluded at 3-0, ending Malawi's Cinderella run and confirming Cameroon as continental champions for the first time.