Cameroon reaches WAFCON 2026 final after dramatic penalty shootout

Cameroon’s women’s football team, the Indomitable Lionesses, have secured a spot in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026. They beat the host nation, Morocco, 3-1 in a dramatic penalty shootout on Wednesday night in Rabat.

The semi-final match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium was extremely close. Neither team wanted to make a costly mistake. Supported by a loud crowd, Morocco tried to control the ball and attack from the sides. However, Cameroon stayed organised, disciplined and strong in defence.

Even after Morocco brought on fresh players in the second half, the game remained locked at 0-0 through 90 minutes.

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Extra time brought the biggest moment of the match. In the 118th minute, Morocco recieved a penalty kick. Fatima Tagnaout stepped up to take the shot, knowing a goal would send her country to the final. However, she missed, giving Cameroon a second chance and keeping the score at 0-0 until the final whistle.

With no goals scored after 120 minutes, the match had to be decided by penalties. Morocco had a great history with shootouts in past tournaments, while Cameroon had lost their last three major shootouts. This time the roles were reversed.

Cameroon converted three of their four kicks, while Morocco only managed to score once. Misses from Kenza Chapelle, Meryem Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui sealed Morocco’s fate.

This win is a huge achievement for Cameroon. After defeating the defending champions, Nigeria, 1-0 in the quarter-finals, they have now beaten the host nation to reach their fourth WAFCON final.

“Cameroon overcame past penalty heartbreak to silence the home crowd and move within one victory of becoming African champions.”

For Morocco, the defeat ends their dream of reaching a third straight final and winning the title on home soil. For Cameroon, the Indomitable Lionesses are now just one win away from lifting the trophy.

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