Cameroon finally conquered Africa on Sunday, beating surprise finalists Malawi 3-0 to win their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title and end a long wait for continental glory.
Marie Ngah scored twice in a dominant first half, while Naomi Eto added another as Cameroon punished a Malawi side appearing in the tournament for the first time.
The victory ended Cameroon’s run of three defeats in WAFCON finals. The Indomitable Lionesses had previously fallen at the final hurdle, but delivered when it mattered most in their fourth final appearance.
Cameroon controlled the contest from the opening whistle and broke through after 20 minutes. Ngah reacted quickest after Malawi failed to clear the danger inside their penalty area and finished from close range.
Eto doubled the advantage 10 minutes later. Malawi struggled to cope with Cameroon’s pressure and could not build the attacking momentum that had carried them through a remarkable tournament.
Ngah then struck again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Eto supplied the pass and Ngah finished to put Cameroon three goals ahead before the interval.
Malawi entered the final ranked 153rd in the world and 32nd in Africa. Their run represented one of the biggest surprises in WAFCON history, but Cameroon’s quality proved too much in the decisive match.
The result makes Cameroon the fourth different WAFCON champion since the tournament began in 1998. Nigeria remain the dominant force with 10 titles, while Equatorial Guinea have won twice and South Africa once.
Both finalists had already secured places at next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, alongside Morocco and Algeria. Algeria finished third after beating Morocco on penalties in Saturday’s bronze-medal match.
The title also gives Cameroon a landmark victory after years of near misses. The Indomitable Lionesses now join Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa as African champions.
