The Indomitable Lionesses made history on August 17 by winning their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title after a dominant 3-0 victory over Malawi in Rabat.
Marie Ngah was the star of the final, scoring twice, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added the other goal as Cameroon settled the contest with a commanding first-half display. Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Ndjoah Eto doubled the lead 10 minutes later. Ngah struck again in stoppage time.
Malawi struggled to break down a Cameroon defence that had conceded only twice before the final, with attacking sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga unable to inspire a comeback.
Cameroon comfortably protected their lead in the second half and completed a remarkable knockout campaign without conceding a goal. They had defeated Ghana in the group stage, Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals and hosts Morocco on penalties after a goalless semi-final.
The triumph ended Cameroon’s run of three previous final defeats to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016. It also made them only the fourth nation to win the continental women’s championship, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
For Malawi, the defeat ended a historic debut campaign in which they became the first Southern African debutants to reach the final. Cameroon had not originally qualified for the expanded 16-team tournament but were given a place following the expansion. They made the most of the opportunity, overcoming several of the continent’s strongest sides to end their long wait for a major women’s football title.