Three Goals for Three Lost Finals: Cameroon Win First Ever WAFCON Title With Devastating 3-0 Final Victory Over Malawi
Three lost finals. 1986, 2004 and 2016. Four decades of heartbreak, near misses and wondering whether Cameroon would ever lift the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
On Sunday evening in Rabat, the waiting finally ended.
The Indomitable Lionesses became WAFCON champions for the first time after a devastating first-half performance delivered a 3-0 victory over debutants Malawi in the 2026 final at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Marie Ngah was the star of the final, scoring twice, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added the other as Cameroon effectively settled the contest before halftime. Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute, Ndjoah Eto doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, and Ngah struck again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to send Cameroon into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Three goals. One half. One trophy that Cameroon had spent decades chasing.
The victory makes Cameroon only the fourth nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa on the roll of honour.
For Malawi, the final brought an end to one of the greatest debut campaigns in WAFCON history. The Scorchers topped their group, eliminated Nigeria, defeated Ghana, overcame Algeria and reached the final at their first attempt. They could not find a way back against Cameroon, but their silver medal represents a remarkable achievement for a team that arrived in Morocco as tournament newcomers.
Cameroon finally have their crown. Malawi leave without the trophy, but with a place in WAFCON history.
You may also read;
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- Ranked 153rd in the World, Now in the WAFCON Final: How Malawi Dismantled Algeria 3-1 and Changed African Women’s Football Forever
- Cameroon vs Malawi WAFCON 2026 Final Preview: Who Will Win Their First WAFCON Title?
- Algeria Claim Historic Bronze at WAFCON 2026: How They Beat Morocco 3-2 on Penalties in a Dramatic Third Place Thriller
MATCH DETAILS
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | TotalEnergies WAFCON 2026 Final |
| Date | Sunday, August 16, 2026 |
| Venue | Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |
| Result | Cameroon 3-0 Malawi |
| Cameroon goals | Marie Ngah Manga 20′. Naomi Ndjoah Eto 30′ (assist: Nyadjou). Marie Ngah Manga 45+3′ (assist: Eto) |
| Key stat | All three goals scored in first half. Malawi never recovered after halftime break |
| Disallowed goal | Gabrielle Onguene late goal ruled out for offside in stoppage time. Would have been 4-0 |
| Bihina GK saves | 3 saves. Also dropped a cross from Tabitha Chawinga but recovered. Largely untroubled |
| Possession | Cameroon 37%. Malawi 63%. Malawi dominated the ball but could not score |
| Shots | Cameroon 8 (3 on target). Malawi 9 (3 on target). Cameroon scored 3 from 3 on target |
| Ngah Manga tournament tally | 5 tournament goals. Joint top scorer alongside Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga |
| Cameroon’s previous finals | Lost 1986, 2004 and 2016 finals. Fourth final. First title |
| Cameroon coach | Valentine Nguene and Dimitri Lipoff. Appointed barely six weeks before the tournament began |
| Malawi achievement | First debutant ever to reach a WAFCON final. Silver medal in debut tournament. World Cup 2027 confirmed |
| History made | Cameroon become 4th ever WAFCON champions after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa |
MATCH EVENTS TIMELINE
| Min | Event | Detail | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-19′ | Cameroon impose early | Cameroon physical and purposeful from the first whistle. Imposing their presence on Malawi. The Chawinga sisters were contained early by a disciplined Cameroon defensive shape | 0-0 |
| 20′ | ⚽ GOAL | Marie Ngah Manga opens the scoring. The group stage top scorer strikes in the final. Cameroon one up. Malawi’s fairytale defence breached for the first time in the final | 1-0 |
| 30′ | ⚽ GOAL | Naomi Ndjoah Eto doubles Cameroon’s lead. Assist from Myriam Nyadjou. The teenager who scored the free kick that eliminated Nigeria now setting up goals in the final. Malawi shell-shocked | 2-0 |
| ~35′ | Bihina scare | Bihina catches a cross but drops the ball in front of Tabitha Chawinga. She recovers it at the second attempt. The closest Malawi come to scoring in the entire match | 2-0 |
| ~40′ | Eto solo run | Eto beats the Malawi defence with a brilliant solo run but gets trapped on the right side of the box. Tries a low shot. Malawi GK Sikelo saves. Would have been 3-0 | 2-0 |
| 45+3′ | ⚽ GOAL | Marie Ngah Manga completes her brace. Eto turns provider. Hammer blow right on the stroke of halftime. Cameroon 3-0 up. The final is effectively over before the second half begins | 3-0 HT |
| 46-85′ | Malawi push | Malawi dominate possession at 63%. Push forward desperately. Cameroon manage the game expertly. Malawi make changes trying to find a way back. No route exists. Bihina rarely troubled | 3-0 |
| ~86′ | Mendoua header wide | Mendoua attempts to add a fourth from a corner rebound. Header goes just wide. Cameroon close to making it four | 3-0 |
| 90+’ | Goal ruled out | Gabrielle Onguene, set up by Rose Bella’s cross, fires home what would have been a fourth goal in stoppage time. Flagged offside. Match ends 3-0 | 3-0 |
| FT | Full Time | Cameroon win 3-0. WAFCON 2026 champions for the first time in history. 40 years of near misses ended. Rabat erupts | 3-0 |
MATCH REVIEW
The First Half That Decided Everything
Nobody who watched this final will ever say Malawi did not try. They had 63 percent of the possession. They had nine shots across the full 90 minutes. They pushed and pressed and created situations throughout the second half.
None of it mattered. Because by the time the first half was over, the trophy had already been decided.
A breathtaking opening 45 minutes at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium placed Cameroon on the brink of ultimate continental glory, taking a commanding 3-0 lead over tournament debutantes Malawi into the halftime break. The Indomitable Lionesses imposed their physical presence and tactical discipline right from the opening whistle.
Marie Ngah Manga opened the scoring in the 20th minute. The forward who had been Cameroon’s most dangerous attacking presence in the group stage delivered when the tournament’s biggest moment arrived. One goal. One composed finish. Malawi behind for the first time in the final.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0. Naomi Ndjoah Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage, converting after being set up by Myriam Nyadjou. The same Nyadjou who scored the free kick that eliminated Nigeria. The same Nyadjou who converted the decisive penalty that sent Morocco home. Now she was the provider for Cameroon’s second goal in the WAFCON final.
Malawi had a moment. Bihina dropped a cross from Tabitha Chawinga and for a split second the ball sat in front of the Malawian captain with the goal at her mercy. Bihina recovered. The moment passed. The Chawinga sisters, so devastating throughout this tournament, were being contained by a Cameroon defence that had the best record of any team in the knockout stage.
Then in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, with Malawi needing nothing more than to get to the break at 2-0 and regroup, Cameroon struck again.
Eto turned provider for Ngah, who completed her brace in the 45+3rd minute to give the Lionesses a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Three goals in the first half of a WAFCON final. A fairytale stunned into silence. An experienced, tactically disciplined Cameroon side showing exactly what they are capable of when the occasion demands their absolute best.
The Second Half: Management and Malawi Resistance
Cameroon managed the second half expertly, frustrating Malawi as the Scorchers poured forward in search of a way back into the contest. Malawi made changes in an attempt to revive their hopes, but the Indomitable Lionesses comfortably managed their three-goal advantage.
Cameroon’s defence, which had conceded just twice before the final, remained resolute after the interval and denied Malawi any route back into the contest.
Malawi had 63 percent of the ball in the second half. They pushed Cameroon back. They won corners. They created situations. But Cameroon’s defensive shape, the same organised, disciplined low block that had held Nigeria to zero and held Morocco to zero, was impenetrable once again.
Bihina made three saves across the full 90 minutes. She needed to make none of them to influence the result. The game was already won before she was seriously tested.
Gabrielle Onguene thought she had added a fourth in stoppage time, set up by Rose Bella’s cross from the left. The offside flag cut short that celebration. The match ended 3-0.
Cameroon are champions. For the first time. After 40 years of trying.
PLAYER RATINGS
| Player | Team | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie Ngah Manga ⭐⚽⚽ | Cameroon | 10/10 | Player of the Match. Brace in the final. Five tournament goals total. Joint top scorer of WAFCON 2026. The most complete performance by a Cameroon forward at this tournament |
| Naomi Ndjoah Eto ⚽ | Cameroon | 9/10 | Scored the second goal. Turned provider for Ngah’s third. A goal and an assist in the WAFCON final. The PSG player announced herself on the continental stage in the most emphatic way |
| Myriam Nyadjou | Cameroon | 9/10 | Assisted Eto’s goal. The 19-year-old who scored the free kick vs Nigeria, converted the decisive penalty vs Morocco and now assisted in the final. The most impactful teenager of WAFCON 2026 |
| Michaely Bihina (GK) ⭐ | Cameroon | 8/10 | 3 saves. Had a scare dropping a cross from Tabitha but recovered. Her tournament-long heroics were the foundation this title was built on even if the final was more comfortable than previous rounds |
| Valentine Nguene (Coach) ⭐ | Cameroon | 10/10 | Appointed six weeks before the tournament. Unbeaten in every match. Beat Nigeria. Beat Morocco. Demolished Malawi 3-0 in the final. The coaching performance of WAFCON 2026 |
| Temwa Chawinga | Malawi | 6/10 | Five tournament goals. Joint top scorer. But could not find the breakthrough in the final against a Cameroon defence that was specifically organised to stop her |
| Tabitha Chawinga | Malawi | 6/10 | Had the match’s most dangerous moment when Bihina dropped the cross at her feet. But Bihina recovered. The Cameroon captain led by example and gave everything but the occasion was too big tonight |
| Lovemore Fazili (Coach) | Malawi | 7/10 | Could not find a way to change the match after going 3-0 down at halftime. But his tournament management overall was the finest coaching debut in WAFCON history. Malawi are better for having him |
TEAM RATINGS
| Category | Cameroon | Malawi | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking | 10/10 | 5/10 | Three goals. Three different scorers involved. Clinical from every attempt on target. Malawi’s 12-goal tournament record counted for nothing on the night |
| Creativity | 9/10 | 6/10 | Nyadjou’s assist for Eto. Eto’s solo run. Ngah’s movement. Cameroon’s creativity in the first half was unstoppable |
| Defending | 10/10 | 5/10 | Conceded zero goals. Contained both Chawinga sisters throughout. Best defensive display of any team at WAFCON 2026 |
| Tactics | 10/10 | 5/10 | Nguene’s plan was perfect. Attack early. Score before Malawi settle. Manage the second half from three up. Executed flawlessly |
| Mentality | 10/10 | 7/10 | Cameroon showed the mentality of champions. Malawi never gave up but 3-0 down at halftime in a WAFCON final is too much for any team to overcome |
| Composure | 10/10 | 5/10 | Every Cameroon goal finished with composure. Ngah’s brace. Eto’s conversion. Three from three on target. The most clinical team in the final |
| Physical Intensity | 9/10 | 7/10 | Cameroon won the physical battle from the first minute. Malawi’s 12 tackles to Cameroon’s 21 showed who dominated the physical contest |
| Set Pieces | 8/10 | 6/10 | Cameroon won 6 corners to Malawi’s 3. Mendoua’s header went just wide. Cameroon dominated aerial situations throughout |
| Coaching Decisions | 10/10 | 5/10 | Nguene’s game plan was the perfect blueprint for a final. Fazili had no answer to 3-0 down at halftime. No coach in the world does |
KAKAKINEWS MATCH INDEX
| Index Category | Score | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Match Quality | 7/10 | Three excellent goals in the first half. A one-sided second half. The result was decided too early for a truly great final but the quality of Cameroon’s attacking football was outstanding |
| Cameroon Performance | 10/10 | Three goals. Zero conceded. Three shots on target, three scored. Contained both Chawinga sisters. Managed the game expertly. A perfect final performance |
| Malawi Performance | 5/10 | 63% possession but zero goals. Chawinga sisters contained. Three goals conceded in first half. Could not reproduce the tournament performances that brought them to the final |
| Entertainment Value | 7/10 | Three goals in 45 minutes was genuinely thrilling. The second half was largely one-sided. The historic significance elevated the occasion beyond the entertainment on the pitch |
| Tournament Stakes | 10/10 | Cameroon’s first ever WAFCON title after three previous final defeats. A new champion crowned. The fourth nation to ever win the tournament. 40 years of history resolved tonight |
| Coaching Battle | 9/10 | Nguene’s plan was flawless. His tournament management across six matches unbeaten was the finest coaching performance of WAFCON 2026. In charge for six weeks. Left as a champion |
| KakakiNews Overall Match Index | 8/10 | The first half was a masterclass. The second half was a formality. Cameroon were the best team across the entire WAFCON 2026 tournament and tonight they proved it in the most emphatic way possible. |
WAFCON 2026 FINAL STANDINGS
| Position | Team | Medal | World Cup 2027 | Historic First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | Gold. CHAMPIONS | ✅ Qualified | First-ever WAFCON title. 4th champion in history |
| 🥈 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | Silver | ✅ Qualified | First debutant to reach WAFCON final. First WAFCON appearance |
| 🥉 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | Bronze | ✅ Qualified | First-ever WAFCON medal. First-ever semi-final |
| 4th | 🇲🇦 Morocco | No medal | ✅ Qualified (as SF) | Third consecutive WAFCON as hosts. No title |
Cameroon are African champions for the first time. And Malawi leave Morocco as the greatest debutant story in WAFCON history. What was your moment of WAFCON 2026? Drop it in the comments to close out a tournament none of us will forget.
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EDITORIAL CREDIT
This match review was prepared by the KakakiNews Sports Editorial Team using verified reporting from Washington Post, Olympics.com, Leadership Nigeria, Flashscore, AfricaTopSports, ESPN and CAFOnline. Video highlights are from Sahara Football. All tactical analysis, player ratings, match verdicts and editorial commentary are original KakakiNews content.
