Three Finals, Three Heartbreaks
For Cameroon, this title was about much more than one night in Rabat.
The Indomitable Lionesses had been here before. In 2004, 2014 and 2016, Cameroon reached the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final only to watch another country lift the trophy.
The 2016 defeat was perhaps the most painful. Cameroon hosted the tournament, reached the final in front of its own supporters and once again came up short against Nigeria.
For years, Cameroon remained one of the strongest teams in African women’s football without the continental title to show for it.
That changed in 2026.
This Time, Cameroon Finished the Job
Facing tournament debutants Malawi in the final, Cameroon entered as the more experienced side — and played like it.
The Lionesses won 3–0, turning years of near misses into the country's first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations championship.
There was no late heartbreak and no silver medal this time. Cameroon controlled the final and completed a tournament in which its ability to defend became just as important as its attacking quality.
After the final whistle, the celebration represented more than the result on the scoreboard. It was the end of a wait that had stretched across different generations of Cameroonian players.
2004: runners-up.
2014: runners-up.
2016: runners-up.
2026: champions.
2014: runners-up.
2016: runners-up.
2026: champions.
Sometimes the simplest timeline tells the entire story.
Built From the Back
Cameroon’s championship also wasn't simply about the goals scored in the final.
Goalkeeper Michelle Bihina became one of the defining players of the tournament. Her performances through the knockout rounds gave Cameroon the foundation it needed when matches became tighter and the pressure increased.
That defensive strength carried all the way to the final, where Cameroon recorded another clean sheet.
The goals may appear first in the highlights, but this championship was built from the back.
A New Name on the Trophy
The victory also changed the history of the competition.
Cameroon became only the fourth nation to win WAFCON, joining the small group of countries that have reached the top of African women’s football.
For a program that had spent years close enough to see the trophy but never touch it, that distinction matters.
Cameroon is no longer simply one of Africa's perennial contenders.
It is now an African champion.
And after four trips to the final, one finally ended differently.
Reporting sources: WAFCON tournament review and Golden Glove · Bihina’s knockout-stage numbers
