Cameroon have won their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title, defeating Malawi 3–0 in Sunday’s final in Rabat, Morocco.

The Indomitable Lionesses settled the contest with a devastating first-half display at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring all three goals before the interval. Marie Ngah Manga was the star of the show, scoring twice, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto added the other goal.

Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage in the 30th minute after being set up by Myriam Nyadjou. Ngah then struck again in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, with Eto providing the assist.

The three-goal cushion effectively settled the final before the break. Malawi, appearing in the WAFCON for the first time, tried to find a way back after half-time, but Cameroon’s disciplined defence kept the Scorchers at bay.

The triumph ends Cameroon’s painful history of near misses in the competition. The Lionesses had previously lost three WAFCON finals against Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016 without scoring in any of those title deciders.

Cameroon’s route to the championship was itself remarkable. The team initially failed to qualify for the tournament but returned after CAF expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams. They subsequently defeated Ghana in the group stage, eliminated defending champions Nigeria 1–0 in the quarter-finals and overcame hosts Morocco on penalties after a goalless semi-final.

Their 3–0 victory over Malawi completed a knockout campaign in which Cameroon did not concede a goal. The result also made Cameroon only the fourth nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.

For Malawi, the defeat brought an end to one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories.

The Scorchers became the first Southern African debutants to reach the final after beating Algeria 3–1 in the semi-finals, with sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga playing key roles throughout the campaign.

The final therefore produced a historic outcome for both sides: Malawi reached an unprecedented championship match on their debut, while Cameroon finally converted decades of continental promise into their first WAFCON crown.