Cameroon crowned African women's champions for the first time

The Indomitable Lionesses won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, crushing Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat. A historic title for a team that hadn't even qualified for the tournament in the first place.

It was a long-awaited triumph. Cameroon secured its first-ever continental women's title on Sunday, August 16, decisively defeating Malawi in the final held in Rabat. The 3-0 scoreline left no room for doubt against a Malawian team that was nevertheless achieving a remarkable performance in its debut appearance at the competition.

Cameroon's journey is almost like a fairy tale. The team did not qualify for the tournament before being given a second chance following the expansion of the format, decided in November, from 12 to 16 teams. Starting from scratch, the Lionesses finished first in their group, eliminated Nigeria in the quarter-finals (1-0), a nation that had won ten of the thirteen editions of the competition and had beaten Cameroon in its last final in 2016, then overcame Morocco in the semi-finals on penalties (0-0, 3-1).

In the final, Cameroon quickly imposed their game with constant pressure and systematic use of crosses. Ngah Manga opened the scoring with a header from a cross on the left, capitalizing on a mistake by the Malawian goalkeeper who spilled the ball (20th minute). Naomi Eto doubled the lead with a low, angled shot from a corner (30th minute), before Ngah Manga completed her brace, again with a header, following another misjudged clearance by the opposing goalkeeper (45th+3 minute). A fourth goal by Gabrielle Onguéné was disallowed for offside just before the final whistle.

Malawi, ranked 153rd in the FIFA rankings, had achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the final in their first-ever appearance at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, an unprecedented achievement since the inaugural edition in 1998. The Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, who had scored nine of Malawi's twelve goals in the tournament, were this time thwarted by the Cameroonian defense. Temwa Chawinga nevertheless finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals.

Throughout the tournament, Cameroonian goalkeeper Bihina played a decisive role, notably during the penalty shootout against Morocco. She was named the tournament's best goalkeeper. The third-place match, played the previous day, saw Algeria defeat the host nation, Morocco, on penalties (1-1, 3-2).