Cameroon is in the WAFCON group of winners: Nigeria (10), Equatorial Guinea (2) and South Africa (1).
Originally published in Global Voices in Spanish
Image of the women's team in Cameroon. Screenshot of the video "Cameroon - African Cup of Women's Nations: 'Indomable lions' are crowned African champions" in the African YouTube channel 24.
After losing three finals, Cameroon's women's football team finally won the African Women's Nations Cup (WAFCON). His victory over Malawi in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, on August 16, 2026, is a sign of the perseverance of this generation and the constant transformation of female football in Africa.
For more than 20 years, Cameroon has been recognized as a power in African women's football, although they had never managed to reach the end and get the much-desired WAFCON cup. However, on Sunday, 16 August, at Moulay El Hassan Stadiuma very different story was experienced. At the end of the TotalEnergies African Women's Nations Cup of 2026, the Indomable lions defeated Malawi by 3-0, and thus achieved their first title on a continental level.
To the fourth final came the victory
Before winning this championship, Cameroon had already reached the WAFCON final in 2004, 2014 and 2016, but had on all occasions lost against Nigeria without a single goal. According to official statistics of the African Football Confederation (CAF), the lions have the record of the highest number of shares in the final disputed by a Central African country.
Cameroon left no doubt in facing Malawi at its first WAFCON final. At 20 minutes, Marie Ngah Manga scored the first goal, and nine minutes later, Naomi Najoah Eto increased the advantage with an acrobatic deal. Just before half-time, Ngah Manga achieved a double with his second goal, which increased the total to 3-0. BeIN Sports the full victory, while the website of Yardbarker offered a tactical analysis.
With the last whistle, Cameroon ceased to be a team that had never won the final and became the champion of Africa. According to the CAF, the country has now established itself as the fourth African nation to obtain the title and joins Nigeria (10 titles), Equatorial Guinea and South Africa (2022).
Interestingly, Cameroon's path to the title has its own paradox. At first, the country did not achieve the classification in the field of play. As reported in Cameroon, the team could only compete after the tournament expanded from 12 to 16 teams. Once on the court, the lions defeated Ghana in the group phase, eliminated Nigeria, which defended its title, for 1-0 in the final quarters and defeated the host Morocco with prison in the semi-finals.
A generational transfer
For a long time, Cameroonian women's football has produced numerous players who have become legends of football, such as Gabrielle Aboudi Onguégé. Today, an emerging generation has made progress in taking responsibility.
One of the team's main personalities is Monique Ngock. The 21-year-old mediocampist was named the best competition player for his excellent performance and outstanding performance in the tournament. According to Yardbarker, is more recognized for its tenacity, its defensive anticipation and its position in front of the ball.
The Monique tour gives this victory a unique value. At only 17 years old, Monique participated in the final quarter of the 20-year-old in Cameroon. Four years later, she became the new most outstanding player in the African championship.
In an interview with the CAF, cited by Olympics.com, Ngock reflects on the absence of family support at its beginning. It hopes that this WAFCON title will show young women that they are currently watching African women's football that "women have the capacity to do anything."
In the WAFCON of 2026, Cameroonian players have a great domain over individual awards. In addition to Ngock, the archer Michaely Bihina, which played a decisive role in the series of the semi-final against Morocco, obtained the Best Arquera Award. Also, according to The Ghana ReportMarie Ngah Manga was appointed the Player of the Final. However, the Golden Bota, a distinction for the player who scores the most goals, was for Temwa Chawinga from Malawi. Chawinga scored five goals and gave two assists during his country's debut in the tournament.
Cameroon's victory in Rabat takes place at a time when African women's football continues to work to consolidate its place and the talent gap between countries continues to decline. This ending faced two teams that ten years ago would not have been among the favorites. Cameroon, which failed to qualify directly, faced Malawi in its debut in the tournament. This is the first final since 2022 with two teams that have never won a title, so the CAF considered this meeting a historical event for both sides, which highlights the growing support for women's football in the region.
How will Cameroon take advantage of this momentous moment?
After the first days of happiness that generated this continental trophy, the real challenges emerged. This confrontation shows that it is necessary to invest more in women's leagues, improve training conditions, strengthen youth development and ensure the visibility of the players without relying exclusively on large international tournaments.
In Rabat, the lions won after 22 years of long struggle and turned three lost endings, in which they had not scored a single goal, into a crushing victory that gave them their first title.
The most important thing is that they have given girls who see football from the country's largest cities, such as Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam and others on the continent, a new perspective of what women's football can be in Africa: a sport in which they become champions and heroines.
Although this prize has finally arrived in Cameroon, the next battle is to ensure that this victory becomes a starting point and not a mere memory.
