Cameroon claimed their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title on Sunday with a commanding 3-0 victory over tournament surprise package Malawi.
After falling short in three previous title matches, the Indomitable Lionesses finally broke their final curse in style, joining an elite club as just the fourth nation to lift the continental trophy since the tournament’s inception in 1998.
The finale capped off a fairytale run for Malawi, who entered the championship ranked 153rd in the world and 32nd in Africa during their historic debut appearance.
Despite their inspiring journey to the decider, the debutants were thoroughly outgunned in the first half by a relentless Cameroonian side that seized complete control of the pitch early on.
Marie Ngah set the tone for the night by reacting quickest to a loose ball in the penalty area, poking home the opener from close range in the 20th minute.
Naomi Eto doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark with a brilliant strike, before Ngah added her second and Cameroon’s third in the third minute of first-half added time, courtesy of another assist from Eto.
With the result already secured by halftime, both finalists—along with fellow semifinalists Morocco and Algeria—had the added consolation of celebrating qualification for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.
Algeria secured the tournament’s bronze medal after winning a tense penalty shootout on Saturday, capping off a remarkable competitive window for North and Central African football.
The post-match celebrations brought high-profile figures to the pitch, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino all smiles while presenting medals alongside Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe.
Infantino, currently seeking continental backing ahead of his re-election bid next March, posed for photographs with several Cameroonian players amidst ongoing scrutiny surrounding his leadership and previously proposed plans to restructure future global tournaments.
