Cameroon are African champions. On Sunday, August 16, 2026, the Indomitable Lionesses won the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against Malawi, with a commanding 3-0 scoreline, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
For Cameroon, this victory ends a long wait. The Cameroonian side had already reached three continental finals, in 2004, 2014 and 2016, without ever managing to lift the trophy. This time, backed by a strong performance throughout the tournament, the Indomitable Lionesses left nothing to chance. They took control of the match early, opening the scoring in the 20th minute before extending their lead to head into the break with the trophy all but secured. The second half only confirmed Cameroon’s dominance, sealing a comfortable 3-0 win.
On the other side, Malawi have nothing to be ashamed of in their run. The Scorchers were playing in their first ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and caused a sensation by reaching the final on their debut. Led notably by sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, the Malawian side had eliminated Algeria in the semifinal before running into a highly efficient Cameroon in the final. Their run will go down as one of the great stories of this 2026 edition.
This year’s tournament, hosted in Morocco, had been expanded by CAF from 12 to 16 teams, a decision that allowed Cameroon, who had initially been eliminated in qualifying by Algeria, to join the final tournament among the additional qualifiers, alongside Ivory Coast, Mali and Egypt. The competition, shifted from its original March schedule, ultimately ran from July 25 to August 16, 2026.
Beyond the symbolism, this triumph brings concrete rewards for Cameroon, who have secured qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The win could mark the beginning of a new era for Cameroonian women’s football, with less than a year to go before that World Cup date.
