Malawi and Cameroon face off for first Women’s Africa Cup title

Malawi will clash with Cameroon for their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday. The final will take place at the Prince Moulay Al Hassan Stadium in Rabat, starting at 8pm Nigerian time, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Malawi, ranked 153rd in the world, made it to the final by defeating Algeria 3-1. The sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga led the way for their team. Cameroon reached the final by beating hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a scoreless 120 minutes in the semi-finals. Both teams have secured spots at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil after reaching the semi-finals.

Tabitha Chawinga, who plays for OL Lyonnes, scored the first goal against Algeria with an overhead kick from a corner in the 34th minute. She added another goal in the 76th minute. Her sister, Temwa, who plays for KC Current, scored in first-half stoppage time. They are now tied with Zambia’s Barbra Banda at the top of the WAFCON Golden Boot standings, each with five goals.

The 30-year-old Tabitha and her sister are key to Malawi’s chances of winning on their tournament debut. In the semi-final, Algeria had two players sent off. Fullback Morgane Belkhiter was shown a red card in the 22nd minute for denying a scoring chance. Later, Malawi midfielder Rose Kadzere also received a straight red card before halftime. Algeria got a goal back through Ikram Adjabi in the 60th minute, but Malawi held on for victory.

For Cameroon, 22-year-old goalkeeper Michaely Bihina has been crucial to their success. She made nine saves and stopped a penalty in the quarter-final against Nigeria. Bihina then made four saves during the penalty shootout against Morocco in the semi-finals. She denied efforts from Kenza Chappelle, Maryame Atiq, and Sakina Ouzraoui, stopping Morocco from winning their first continental title.

Coach Valentine Nguele praised Bihina's performance after the win over Morocco. “As a former goalkeeper, you know that this is the moment, the ultimate moment, to lift your team to that level. And this young player possessed enormous, exceptional qualities. We knew full well that if we reached this stage, she would do something special. So, we can only encourage her because she really delivered a stellar performance,” Nguele said.

Nineteen-year-old defender Myriam Nyadjou scored the winning goal in regulation time for Cameroon. This is only their third time reaching the championship match and their first since 2016.

Cameroon was not initially qualified for the tournament but got a spot when the Confederation of African Football expanded the competition from 12 to 16 teams in November.

Sunday’s final will determine Africa’s newest women’s football champion, with either team set to win their first WAFCON title in the modern era of the tournament.