Historic WAFCON Final Set for Rabat
Cameroon and Malawi are set to make history today, Sunday, August 16, 2026, as they face each other in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026. The match will be held at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT). This final is particularly significant as neither team has previously won the WAFCON title, ensuring a new champion will be crowned.
This marks only the third final in the tournament’s history where both finalists are vying for their first title, including the inaugural tournament in 1998. The winner will become the fourth distinct WAFCON champion. Malawi is the seventh nation to reach the WAFCON final, while Cameroon is making its fourth appearance in the deciding match.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has significantly increased the prize money for the tournament. The winner of this year’s WAFCON will receive $2 million, double the amount from the previous edition. The overall prize fund has also seen a substantial increase, rising from $3.475 million to $5.8 million. The runners-up will be awarded $750,000.
Malawi’s Journey to the Final
Malawi’s path to the final has been a notable story, marking their debut appearance in the tournament. They announced their intentions early by defeating Nigeria 3-2 in their opening match. This victory provided them with momentum, which they carried through the competition.
In the semi-finals, Malawi secured a 3-1 win against Algeria, with Tabitha Chawinga playing a crucial role by scoring two goals. The sisters Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga have been standout players for Malawi throughout the tournament. Temwa Chawinga leads the goal-scoring charts with five goals and has also contributed two assists.
Malawi has demonstrated a strong attacking style, scoring 12 goals in the tournament, the highest among all teams, while conceding seven. They have won four games in open play, making them only the second debutant team, after Nigeria in 1998, to achieve this feat at their first WAFCON.
Cameroon’s Path and Defensive Strength
Cameroon’s journey to the final has been described as surprising. Initially, the team did not qualify for the tournament when it was limited to 12 nations, but they secured a spot after the expansion to 16 teams. They have made the most of this opportunity, performing strongly to reach the final.
A significant moment for Cameroon was their semi-final victory over hosts Morocco in a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, at 22 years old, was a key figure in this success, saving three penalties. Bihina has made 12 saves in Cameroon’s two knockout matches, with nine against Nigeria and three against Morocco.
Cameroon has shown resilience and defensive strength, conceding only two goals on their way to the final and keeping three clean sheets in the tournament. They have not conceded in the knockout rounds, marking the first time they have achieved successive clean sheets in WAFCON knockout matches. This final will be Cameroon’s first WAFCON final against a team other than Nigeria, as all their previous three finals were against the Super Falcons.
Source: bbc.com
Ama Serwah
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