Cameroon defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final to win their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title….reports Africa Daily News Desk
Cameroon have won the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after beating Malawi 3-0 in Sunday’s final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Marie Ngah scored twice, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added another as the Indomitable Lionesses produced a dominant first-half performance to secure their first continental title.
Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Ndjoah Eto doubled Cameroon’s lead 10 minutes later, with Myriam Nyadjou providing the assist.
Ngah struck again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, this time assisted by Ndjoah Eto, giving Cameroon a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Malawi, appearing at the WAFCON for the first time, struggled to respond after conceding early. The Scorchers entered the final as the tournament’s leading scorers with 12 goals, with sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga among the key figures in their historic run.
However, Cameroon’s defence, which had conceded only twice before the final, remained organised throughout the second half. Further changes by Malawi failed to alter the outcome as Cameroon controlled the match with their three-goal advantage.
The triumph made Cameroon the fourth nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
It also ended Cameroon’s run of three previous final defeats. The Indomitable Lionesses had lost to Nigeria in the 2004, 2014 and 2016 finals.
Cameroon’s route to the title included a group-stage victory over Ghana, a 1-0 quarter-final win against 10-time champions Nigeria and a goalless semi-final against hosts Morocco, which they won 3-1 on penalties.
They completed the knockout stage without conceding a goal.
Cameroon had not originally qualified for the tournament but were included following the expansion of the competition to 16 teams. They went on to make the most of the opportunity, eventually ending more than two decades of disappointment in the continental competition.
For captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné and her teammates, the victory marked a significant moment after years of near misses. Cameroon had reached three previous finals without scoring, but ended that record emphatically with three goals in the opening 48 minutes of Sunday’s final.
Ngah emerged as the star of the decider with her brace, while Ndjoah Eto contributed a goal and an assist.
Malawi’s defeat ended a landmark campaign for the Scorchers, who became the first Southern African debutants to reach the WAFCON final. Their run included a 3-1 semi-final victory over Algeria.
But Cameroon’s defensive discipline, experience and clinical finishing proved decisive in Rabat, as the Indomitable Lionesses finally lifted the continental trophy.
