Wafcon 2026: Cameroon crowned champions as 16-team format thrives

Cameroon have become the fourth nation to lift the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy after a dominant 3-0 victory over Malawi in Sunday's final. The Indomitable Lionesses, who qualified for the tournament based on their world ranking rather than the qualifiers, completed a remarkable turnaround to claim the continental crown.

The decision by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to expand the tournament to 16 teams was largely seen as a success. It provided a broader platform for nations to develop and created a more level playing field. Alongside the finalists, Morocco and Algeria have also secured their spots at the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup, marking significant milestones for these nations.

This edition of the tournament provided several shock results that challenged the traditional hierarchy. Debutants Malawi emerged as the tournament's fairy tale, defeating 10-time champions Nigeria in their opening match. For the Super Falcons, the tournament was their worst performance in history, culminating in an early exit and failure to qualify for the next World Cup.

Valentine Nguele, who took charge of Cameroon only in June, became the fifth female coach to lead a side to Wafcon glory. Her success was attributed to an incredible team effort and the rapid creation of a cohesive unit despite the late start.

We worked as crazy since two months ago, day and night, and this is the result. We had no team, nothing was ready. We tried to build a kind of bubble. Dimitri Lipoff

While the competition was fierce on the pitch, challenges remained off it. Attendances for matches not involving the hosts, Morocco, were notably low, a recurring issue for the tournament. Looking ahead, the focus shifts to the 2028 Olympic qualifiers, with teams aiming to build on the momentum gained during this successful edition of Wafcon.