The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon on Sunday in Rabat, Morocco defeated their Malawian counterparts 3-0 in the finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The Cameroon produced a dominant first-half display at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring all three goals before the break to secure the historic victory.
The Indomitable Lionesses dominated the game right from the commencement of the game with Marie Manga opening scoring in the 20th minute, heading her side into the lead, while Naomi Eto doubled the advantage in the 29th minutes of the match.
Manga completed her brace in the stoppage time of the first-half, giving the Indomitable Lionesses a commanding 3-0 lead going into the interval.
The Malawian players, who are making their debut at the continental championship made some impressive moves after the restart of the game through the Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, but they were unable to break through the defence of the Cameroonians.
The goalkeeper of the Indomitable Lionesses, Michaely Bihina, had a beautiful game as she ensured that the team did not concede any goal.
The victory of the Indomitable Lionesses has ended Cameroon’s long wait for the WAFCON title after three previous defeats in the final.
The Indomitable Lionesses had lost the 2004, 2014 and 2016 finals, all against the Super Falcons of Nigeria, before finally ending their run of disappointment in Morocco.
Cameroon thus became the fourth nation to win the WAFCON, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
The victory also made Cameroon the third African country, after Nigeria and South Africa, to win both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles.
Although Malawi lost 0-3 to Cameroon in the finals of the tournament, the team had an impressive outing, having defeated defending champions and 10-time winners, Nigeria 3-2 in the opening group match, defeated Ghana and Algeria in the knockout rounds to reach their first-ever WAFCON final.
The Algerian women won the bronze medal in their third place match against hosts, Morocco.
GIK/APA