WAFCON 2026 Final Preview: Cameroon vs. Malawi – A Clash Nobody Saw Coming
Sunday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat wasn’t the matchup anyone predicted when the tournament kicked off on July 26. Neither Cameroon nor Malawi were pre-tournament favourites — that title belonged to hosts Morocco, defending champions South Africa, and record 10-time winners Nigeria. Instead, it’s the Indomitable Lionesses and the debutant Scorchers who will fight for the trophy, and the road each side took to get there is what makes this final genuinely can’t-miss.
Malawi’s fairytale run
Malawi are playing in their first-ever WAFCON final, in their first-ever WAFCON appearance. To get there, they eliminated Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria along the way — becoming only the second tournament debutant since Zimbabwe in 2000 to reach a final. Their semi-final win over Algeria, 3-1, was built almost entirely on the shoulders of two sisters: captain Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga combined for all three goals, with Tabitha scoring twice. Temwa’s tournament tally now sits at four goals and two assists — six goal involvements, tied with Zambia’s Barbra Banda for the most of any player in the competition.
Malawi have already secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil simply by reaching the semi-finals. A win on Sunday would add a first continental crown on top of that — a remarkable double for the lowest-ranked side left in the tournament.
Cameroon’s redemption arc
Cameroon’s path has been just as dramatic, if less improbable. The Indomitable Lionesses pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets in the quarter-finals, eliminating defending champions and 10-time winners Nigeria 1-0 — a result many are calling revenge for Cameroon’s final defeat to Nigeria a decade earlier. In the semi-final, they shut out host nation Morocco over 120 goalless minutes before winning 3-1 on penalties, ending the hosts’ bid for a third straight final and a first continental title on home soil.
This is Cameroon’s fourth WAFCON final appearance, and their first since 2016 — but they’ve historically struggled from the penalty spot, having lost each of their previous three WAFCON shootouts, including one against Nigeria back in 2018. Beating that history on their way to the final has already been a statement in itself.
What to expect Sunday
This is a genuine contrast in styles and stories: Malawi’s free-scoring, sister-powered attack against Cameroon’s disciplined, defence-first identity, anchored by goalkeeper Michaely Kyria Bihina’s decisive saves through the knockout rounds. Neither side walked in as a favourite, which is exactly what makes Sunday’s final one of the more unpredictable — and compelling — title deciders African women’s football has produced in years.
Kickoff is set for Sunday, August 16, in Rabat, closing out a tournament that expanded to 16 teams for the first time and has already reshaped expectations for the continent’s next generation of contenders.
Hi Dr. I never knew you were this passionate in football. I’m convinced that with your little input the Cameroonian Lionesses will take the cup. Keep the flame burning.