Cameroon claim first Wafcon title as dem sama Malawi 3-0
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- Author,Rob Stevens
- Role,BBC Sport Africa
- Published34 minutes wey don pass
- Read am in 5 mins
Cameroon bin cruise to 3-0 victory ova tournament debutants Malawi to claim dia first ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title.
Marie Ngah Manga close-range header put di Indomitable Lionesses ahead for di 20th minute and Naomi Eto double di lead wit correct volley for di half hour mark for di Moroccan capital Rabat.
Di Central Africans make am 3-0 for di third minute of first-half added time as Eto round Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and drop di ball for striker Ngah Manga to score her fifth goal for di finals.
Malawi, di lowest-ranked side for Wafcon 2026 at 153rd in di world, reach final on di back of di attacking prowess of di Chawinga sisters Tabitha and Temwa.
However, di Cameroon defence no allow di two sisters score and secure fairytale ending to dia unexpected run for di tournament.
Ngah Manga miss glorious chance to complete her hat-trick – and secure di golden boot outright – three minutes into di second half wen she go past Sikelo but fire wide from six yards wit di goal gaping.
Di Scorchers bin get dia best opening just afta di hour mark as Cameroon keeper Michaely Bihina save one low effort from Tabitha Chawinga bifor her younger sibling turn and fire di rebound wide.
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Cameroon victory dey more remarkable becos di Indomitable Lionesses miss di 2024 edition of Wafcon and fail to qualify for dis finals, as dem lose 3-1 on aggregate to Algeria for dia second-round tie.
However, di Central Africans advance to di tournament on di strength of dia world ranking afta di Confederation of African Football (Caf) expand di finals from 12 to 16 teams.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino bin dey to present di trophy alongside Caf counterpart Patrice Motsepe, and Cameroon – wey previously lose three Wafcon finals – also pick up $2m (£1.48m) in prize money as dem become just di fourth side to win di title afta Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Both sides go feature for di 2027 Women’s Fifa World Cup for Brazil alongside fellow Wafcon semi-finalists Algeria and Morocco.
“We dey veri happy,” Ngah Manga tok on E4.
“We bin don dey work so hard ova all dis years to get hia. We dey veri proud to finally be champions.”
Indomitable Lionesses capitalise on errors
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Di opener come afta Sikelo misjudge one cross from Eto cross from di right and Grace Mendoua header back across goal bin dey tipped on to di bar by di Malawi keeper.
Ngah Manga bin dey around to pounce on di rebound from two yards out and Cameroon, ranked 82 places above dia opponents, no look back.
Di Indomitable Lionesses double dia lead wen Malawi fail to clear one corner and Eto pivot bifor she send her first-time effort into di bottom right-hand corner.
Sikelo bin arguably dey at fault for di third as she decide to come off her line in attempt to cut out Genevieve Ngo Mbeleck’s through ball but Eto beat her dia, get to di byline and cross for Ngah Manga to head into one empty net from two yards.
Valentine Nguele only take charge as Cameroon coach for June but don build a well-drilled side wey upset Nigeria 1-0 for quarter-finals and den beat host nation Morocco on penalties for di last four.
Na Bihina be di star for both of dose matches, as she pull off nine saves against di Super Falcons and den keep out extra-time penalty and three more spot-kicks for di shootout against di North Africans.
Dem rarely call upon di 22-year-old Benfica goalkeeper for di final as Malawi challenge fade.
Cameroon almost add di fourth goal but Sikele save one trike by Eto from one narrow angle bifor Mendoua head one corner across goal and wide.
For injury time, Indomitable Lionesses substitute Gabrielle Onguene tap in but di 37-year-old bin dey denied by di offside flag and book for taking off her shirt in celebration.
Cameroon football federation president Samuel Eto’o celebrate each goal wildly in di stands for di Moulay Hassan Stadium and di Cameroon bench and officials run enta di pitch on di final whistle to mark dia first Wafcon crown afta final defeats for 2004, 2014 and 2016 – wey all come at di hands of Nigeria.
