Cameroon claimed their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title with a dominant 3-0 victory over Malawi in the final. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Eto added one goal, all in the first half. The triumph came despite Cameroon initially failing to qualify for the tournament—they entered after the Confederation of African Football expanded the field from 12 to 16 teams in November and admitted them based on FIFA rankings.
Cameroon's run was remarkable given their head coach Valentine Nguele was hired just six weeks before competition began. The team drew two matches and never lost, conceding only twice throughout the tournament. Their victory marks Cameroon as the fourth nation to win the WAFCON since 1998 and the third to capture both the men's and women's continental titles.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina earned the Golden Glove for her performances. Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga won the Golden Boot, capping a historic tournament for her nation as they qualified for their first Women's World Cup by reaching the semifinals alongside Cameroon, Morocco and South Africa.
