Cameroon, Malawi set for historic WAFCON showdown with maiden title at stake

Cameroon and debutants Malawi will battle for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 title when they meet at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, August 16, in a final that guarantees a new champion.

Kick-off is scheduled for 10 pm EAT, with neither side having previously lifted the WAFCON trophy. It will be the first final since 2022 in which both finalists are chasing a maiden title and only the third in the tournament’s history, after Nigeria defeated Ghana in the inaugural 1998 final and South Africa overcame Morocco in 2022.

The winner will become only the fourth nation to be crowned African women’s champions, joining record 10-time winners Nigeria, two-time champions Equatorial Guinea and South Africa, who claimed their maiden title in 2022.

For Cameroon, Sunday’s final represents another opportunity to complete a journey that has ended in disappointment on three previous occasions. The Indomitable Lionesses reached the final in 2004, 2014 and 2016 but lost all three matches to Nigeria without scoring.

Their first appearance ended in a heavy 5-0 defeat, followed by 2-0 and 1-0 losses in the 2014 and 2016 finals respectively. This time, however, Cameroon will face a finalist other than Nigeria for the first time.

They booked their place in the final by defeating hosts Morocco in the semi-finals, continuing an impressive defensive campaign in which they have conceded just twice. They have kept three clean sheets and are yet to concede in the knockout stages, securing successive clean sheets in WAFCON knockout matches for the first time.

Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina has been central to that resilience. She produced a remarkable performance in the semi-final shoot-out against Morocco, saving three penalties to become the first Cameroon goalkeeper to achieve that feat in a WAFCON penalty shoot-out.

Cameroon have also shown greater consistency in open play, winning three matches without needing penalties. Their five goals may not match Malawi’s attacking numbers, but their defensive record presents a formidable challenge for the Scorchers.

Victory would carry significance beyond Cameroon. It would make them only the third nation to have won both the men’s Africa Cup of Nations and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, following Nigeria and South Africa.

Malawi, meanwhile, have transformed their maiden appearance at the tournament into one of the most remarkable campaigns in WAFCON history.

The Scorchers defeated Algeria 3-1 in the semi-finals to become the seventh different nation to reach the final and the first Southern African side to reach the deciding match on their tournament debut.

Their attacking numbers have been particularly impressive. Malawi have scored 12 goals, the highest tally of any team at the tournament, although they have also conceded seven. They have won four matches in open play, matching a feat previously achieved by only one debutant, Nigeria in 1998.

Much of Malawi’s attacking threat has come from sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, who have combined for nine of their team’s 12 goals.

Temwa scored against Algeria to take her tournament tally to five, drawing level with Zambia’s Barbra Banda as the leading scorer. She has also provided two assists, giving her seven goal involvements, the highest total by any player at the tournament.

Tabitha, meanwhile, scored twice in the semi-final to take her tally to four goals and underline the threat Cameroon will have to contain.

The Chawinga sisters will not be Malawi’s only danger. Bernadetta Mkandawire has provided two assists during the campaign, while goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo has also played a crucial role. Sikelo made eight saves from nine shots on target against Algeria, helping Malawi stay in control during a demanding semi-final.

The Scorchers have shown remarkable resilience throughout the tournament. They have had players sent off in two matches but won both encounters. Rose Kadzere was dismissed in stoppage time against Algeria, while Rose Alufandika received a red card during the group-stage victory over Egypt.

The final will also mark the first-ever meeting between Cameroon and Malawi, adding another layer of history to an already significant occasion.

It will be the third WAFCON final between a Central African and Southern African nation. The previous two meetings both went the way of Central Africa, with Equatorial Guinea defeating South Africa 2-1 in 2008 before recording a 4-0 victory over the same opponents in 2012.

Cameroon will therefore hope history remains on their side, but Malawi arrive with confidence after a tournament in which they have consistently defied expectations.

The contrasting styles could make for a compelling final. Cameroon have built their campaign around defensive organisation and efficiency, conceding only twice, while Malawi have been the tournament’s most prolific attacking side.

The statistics also suggest that Sunday’s match could be decided by fine margins. Nine of the previous 13 WAFCON finals have been won by a team that kept a clean sheet, while only four finals have seen both teams score.

Only one previous final has ended goalless after 90 minutes and required extra time before being decided on penalties, when Nigeria defeated South Africa 4-3 in the shootout in 2018. The highest-scoring final remains Nigeria’s 4-2 victory over Equatorial Guinea in 2010, while Nigeria’s 5-0 win over Cameroon in 2004 remains the biggest margin of victory.

For Malawi, victory would complete an extraordinary debut by making them only the second Southern African nation to win the WAFCON after South Africa. For Cameroon, it would finally deliver a title that has eluded them despite three previous appearances in the final.

With history waiting to be made at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Sunday night’s showdown promises more than just a battle for the trophy. It is a contest between a seasoned finalist desperate to end years of disappointment and a debutant that has already rewritten the record books.