Cameroon won the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after beating Malawi 3-0 in the final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on 16 August. The Indomitable Lionesses claimed the continental title for the first time, while Malawi finished runners-up after a remarkable debut appearance at the tournament.

WAFCON 2026 final: Cameroon 3–0 Malawi

The final brought together two teams chasing their first WAFCON title. Cameroon started sharply and took control in the first half. Marie Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute. Naomi Ndjoah Eto made it 2-0 in the 30th minute after an assist from Myriam Nyadjou, before Ngah completed her brace in first-half stoppage time from Ndjoah Eto’s delivery.

Malawi entered the match as the tournament’s leading scorers and had produced one of the stories of Morocco 2026. However, Cameroon’s organised defence and clinical finishing prevented the Scorchers from mounting a comeback. The 3-0 result delivered a first continental crown for the Indomitable Lionesses.

Cameroon’s route to their first WAFCON title

Cameroon finished top of Group D before producing a strong knockout run. In the quarter-finals, they beat record 10-time champions Nigeria 1-0. They then held hosts Morocco to a goalless draw in the semi-finals and won the penalty shoot-out 3-1.

That set up the final against Malawi. Cameroon had previously lost their three WAFCON finals, all against Nigeria, in 2004, 2014 and 2016. Their victory in Rabat ended that sequence and made Cameroon the fourth different country to win the competition, after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.

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Malawi’s historic debut campaign

Although Malawi lost the final, the Scorchers made history in their first WAFCON appearance. They reached the final after defeating Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals and Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals. Their run made them the first Southern African debutants to reach the WAFCON final.

Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga were central to Malawi’s attacking campaign. Temwa Chawinga finished among the tournament’s leading scorers with five goals, while Malawi’s run showed the increased depth of women’s international football across Africa.

Morocco’s tournament ends in the semi-finals

Morocco did not reach the final or win the tournament. The hosts were eliminated by Cameroon after a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals, losing 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out. Fatima Tagnaout missed an extra-time penalty before Cameroon prevailed from the spot.

The Atlas Lionesses had reached the knockout rounds after a strong group stage and then beat South Africa 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Their campaign ended one match short of the final in Rabat.

South Africa’s WAFCON 2026 campaign

Banyana Banyana began the tournament with a 2-1 group-stage defeat to Tanzania but progressed to the quarter-finals. Their title defence ended with a 2-1 defeat to Morocco in the last eight.

South Africa remained involved in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 qualification pathway. In the subsequent WAFCON play-off match, Banyana Banyana beat Nigeria 2-1 to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

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WAFCON 2026 fast facts

Item	Confirmed detail
Host country	Morocco
Tournament dates	26 July to 16 August 2026
Final	Cameroon 3–0 Malawi
Final venue	Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat
Champions	Cameroon — first WAFCON title
Runners-up	Malawi — first WAFCON appearance
Final goalscorers	Marie Ngah (2); Naomi Ndjoah Eto

Conclusion

WAFCON 2026 ended with Cameroon’s first African women’s title and Malawi’s breakthrough run to the final. Cameroon’s 3-0 win in Rabat corrected the near-misses of previous finals, while Malawi’s debut campaign underlined the growing competitiveness of the women’s game on the continent.