Cameroon vs Malawi: Everything to Know About the 2026 WAFCON Final

Cameroon and Malawi will meet in Rabat on Sunday, August 16, 2026, with both nations chasing their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title.

The final represents a historic opportunity for Malawi, who have reached the decisive match at their first-ever WAFCON appearance, while Cameroon are returning to the final after several years of near misses.

The Indomitable Lionesses have already eliminated hosts Morocco and Nigeria on their way to the final, while Malawi have produced one of the tournament's biggest stories by defeating Nigeria in the group stage before overcoming Ghana and Algeria in the knockout rounds.

Cameroon Reach WAFCON Final After Penalty Shootout Win

Cameroon entered the tournament as one of Africa's more experienced women's national teams and have once again demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level.

The Indomitable Lionesses began their campaign in Group D, beating Mali 2-1 before defeating Ghana 1-0.

They then drew 1-1 with Cape Verde to finish their group-stage campaign unbeaten.

Cameroon continued their run in the knockout rounds with a narrow 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the quarter-finals.

Their semi-final against hosts Morocco was considerably tighter. After 90 minutes ended goalless, Cameroon prevailed 3-1 on penalties to book their place in the final.

Cameroon's Road to the Final

• Group stage: Cameroon 2-1 Mali
• Group stage: Cameroon 1-0 Ghana
• Group stage: Cameroon 1-1 Cape Verde
• Quarter-final: Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
• Semi-final: Cameroon 0-0 Morocco — Cameroon won 3-1 on penalties

Marie Ngah has been Cameroon's leading scorer with three goals, while Grace Mendoua and Myriam Nyadjou have also found the net.

Cameroon have now made 12 WAFCON appearances and previously finished runners-up in 2004, 2014 and 2016.

The final gives them another opportunity to finally claim the continental crown.

Malawi Make History With First WAFCON Final

Malawi's journey to the final has been one of the standout stories of the tournament.

The Scorchers entered the competition without having previously made an appearance at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

They immediately announced their arrival by defeating Nigeria 3-2 in their opening Group C match.

Malawi then followed that result with a 3-1 victory over Egypt before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Zambia.

Despite that loss, Malawi advanced to the knockout stage and continued their impressive run.

They defeated Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals before producing another strong performance against Algeria in the semi-finals, winning 3-1 to secure their place in the championship match.

Malawi's Road to the Final

• Group stage: Malawi 3-2 Nigeria
• Group stage: Malawi 3-1 Egypt
• Group stage: Malawi 1-2 Zambia
• Quarter-final: Malawi 2-1 Ghana
• Semi-final: Malawi 3-1 Algeria

Malawi's attacking threat has been led by the Chawinga sisters.

Temwa Chawinga leads the team's scoring charts with five goals, while captain Tabitha Chawinga, who plays for Lyon in France, has scored four.

Rose Kadzere has contributed two goals, while Faith Chinzimu has one.

Cameroon vs Malawi: Experience Meets History

The WAFCON final presents an intriguing contrast between two teams with very different tournament histories.

Cameroon have appeared at the competition 12 times and have reached the final on three previous occasions, finishing runners-up each time.

Malawi, meanwhile, are competing at the WAFCON for the first time and have already gone all the way to the final.

That makes Sunday's match particularly significant regardless of the outcome.

A Cameroonian victory would finally deliver the Indomitable Lionesses their long-awaited WAFCON title, while a Malawi triumph would complete one of the most remarkable debut campaigns in the tournament's history.

Players to Watch

Marie Ngah — Cameroon

Ngah has been Cameroon's most prolific player during the tournament, scoring three goals on the road to the final.

Her ability to provide goals could prove decisive against a Malawi side that has shown plenty of attacking quality.

Temwa Chawinga — Malawi

With five goals already, Chawinga enters the final as Malawi's leading scorer.

Her attacking output has been central to the Scorchers' historic run and she will be one of the players Cameroon must contain.

Tabitha Chawinga — Malawi

The Malawi captain brings considerable experience to the team and has scored four times during the tournament.

Her leadership and attacking contribution could be crucial as Malawi attempt to complete their extraordinary run.

Cameroon vs Malawi WAFCON Final Details

• Competition: Women's Africa Cup of Nations
• Match: Cameroon vs Malawi
• Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026
• Venue: Rabat, Morocco
• Kick-off: 19:00 GMT
• Cameroon nickname: Indomitable Lionesses
• Malawi nickname: Scorchers
• Cameroon previous WAFCON appearances: 12
• Malawi previous WAFCON appearances: None
• Cameroon's previous best finish: Runners-up
• Malawi's previous best finish: Finalists

What Is at Stake?

For Cameroon, the final is another chance to end years of disappointment on the continental stage.

The Indomitable Lionesses have previously come close but have never lifted the WAFCON trophy, despite three previous runners-up finishes.

For Malawi, however, the occasion is already historic.

The Scorchers have gone from making their first WAFCON appearance to reaching the final, and victory would give them a first continental title at the first attempt.

With two contrasting footballing stories meeting in Rabat, the final promises to be one of the most significant matches in African women's football this year.

SportsLigue