Cameroon's women's football team, the Indomitable Lionesses, won the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time with a commanding 3-0 victory over Malawi in Sunday's final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Cameroon Ends Decades-Long Wait for Continental Glory
The Indomitable Lionesses produced a devastating first-half display, with Marie Ngah scoring twice and Naomi Ndjoah Eto scoring once, to finally end their long wait for continental glory. Cameroon's victory made them the fourth different nation to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa.
The final brought together two sides seeking their first African title, with Malawi attempting to complete a remarkable run in their debut WAFCON appearance and Cameroon looking to finally turn years of near misses into silverware. Cameroon settled faster, with Ngah making the breakthrough in the 20th minute to put the Indomitable Lionesses ahead and immediately change the complexion of the final.
Cameroon's Defence Proves Unbreakable
Malawi's attacking strength had been one of the major features of the tournament, but they were suddenly forced to chase the game against a Cameroon side that had built its campaign on defensive discipline and efficiency. Ten minutes later, the task became significantly more difficult, with Ndjoah Eto scoring the second goal in the 30th minute to tighten Cameroon's grip on the trophy.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Cameroon produced another decisive attacking move, with Ndjoah Eto turning provider for Ngah, who struck in the 45+3 minute to complete her brace and send Cameroon into the interval with a commanding 3-0 advantage. The third goal left Malawi needing an extraordinary second-half comeback, but Cameroon's defence remained disciplined enough to prevent Malawi from finding even a consolation goal.
A New Chapter for Women's Football in Cameroon
The final whistle brought an emotional conclusion to one of the most remarkable campaigns in Cameroon's WAFCON history. The Indomitable Lionesses had not even originally qualified for the tournament before being added following the expansion of the competition to 16 teams. They went on to make the most of that opportunity, defeating Ghana in the group stage, eliminating 10-time champions Nigeria in the quarter-finals, and overcoming hosts Morocco on penalties in the semi-finals.
For players such as captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguéné, the triumph represented the culmination of years of frustration at continental level. Cameroon had reached three previous finals without scoring a goal in any of them. On Sunday, they ended that unwanted record emphatically by scoring three times in the opening 48 minutes. Ngah's brace ensured she would be one of the defining figures of the final, while Ndjoah Eto finished with a goal and an assist in an outstanding attacking contribution.
Malawi's Historic Campaign Ends in Defeat
The result brought disappointment for Malawi, but their run to the final remains historic. Playing at the WAFCON for the first time, the Scorchers became the first Southern African debutants to reach the final and produced one of the tournament's most entertaining campaigns. They had beaten Algeria in the semi-finals and entered the decider with the best attacking record in the competition.
However, Cameroon's experience, defensive organisation, and clinical finishing proved too much in Rabat. For the Indomitable Lionesses, there would be no fourth final heartbreak. Ten years after losing the 2016 final on home soil and more than two decades after their first appearance in the continental decider, Cameroon finally reached the summit of African women's football.
Source: Joy Online
