Cameroon won their first ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title by dismantling Malawi 3-0 in Rabat on Sunday, with three goals coming during a one-sided first-half display.
Three-time defeated finalists in previous editions of the tournament, Cameroon ousted last year’s finalists – Nigeria and Morocco – to reach the final, and ended Malawi’s Cinderella story emphatically with Marie Ngah Manga’s double and Naomi Eto’s fine scissors kick giving them a commanding first-half lead.
Despite failing to show their best at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Malawi can still reflect on a remarkable debut campaign, having been ranked 153rd in the world when the WAFCON kicked off last month.
Cameroon had showed more attacking intent during the early stages than in their previous knockout games, while a defensive line that had not conceded at all in the knockouts appeared to cope well with tournament top scorer Temwa Chawinga despite some early jitters.
Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, Player of the Match against both the Super Falcons and the Atlas Lionesses, saved low at Chawinga’s feet during the opening ten minutes, with the Kansas City Current striker’s control letting her down.
Bihina had also saved an attempt from Chikondi Gondwe in the 14th minute before the Lionesses began to take control.
Ultimately, it was Cameroon who opened the scoring in the 20th minute following an error from Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo – who had previously been identified as a weak link in this side after earlier blunders in the competition.
This time, the Civil Service Women stopper could only push Grace Mendoua’s cross onto her own crossbar, before Marie Ngah Manga followed up with a close-range header.
Bihina was forced into a save in the moments after the goal, as Malawi sought to strike back, while Sikelo unconvincingly pawed Eto’s attempt over her bar just before the half-hour mark after she’d been played in by Ngah Manga.
From the resulting corner, Cameroon had another; Eto beat Sikelo with an imaginative scissors kick after Malawi failed to deal with Achta Toko Njoya’s teasing corner on the half-hour mark.
Malawi appeared in disarray, with Cameroon supporters buoyant, although they appeared set to go in at half-time only 2-0 down despite Sikelo completely missing a cross from Cameroon’s right, with no one able to follow up on the loose ball in the box.
Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, however, the goalkeeper was again at the heart of a hideous defensive mix-up.
Racing out to close down Eto, she appeared to badly misjudge either the distance to the onrushing winger and/or her own speed, and was easily rounded by the Sassuolo attacker. Eto crossed calmly for Ngah Manga, who took the final beyond Malawi.
Cameroon gave themselves an unorthodox guard of honour at half-time, with the Indomitable Lionesses clearly confident that the job had been done.
Malawi sent an early chance from Tabitha Chawinga just wide of Bihina’s right-hand post moments after the restart, although Cameroon should have added a fourth moments later when Ngah Manga held off Benadetta Mkandawire, rounded Sikelo – again stuck in no man’s land – but sent a feeble miss into the side netting despite being faced with an open goal.
A VAR check for a penalty afterwards came to nothing, and Cameroon were largely able to control the second half as Malawi tired.
In one moment, the Chawinga sister connected superbly – showing a glimpse of the chemistry that had brought down Nigeria, Ghana and others – only for Temwa to fire wide of Bihina’s post.
Mendoua fired over from a tight angle in the 72nd minute as Cameroon reduced their efforts to add further goals, while Sikelo did pull off a late stop to deny the onrushing Eto from close range.
The last kick of the game went to veteran Gabrielle Onguene, who previously represented the Indomitable Lionesses when they were defeated by Nigeria in the 2016 final on home soil.
Having entered as a 91st-minute substitute for Ngah Manga, she capitalised on a gap in the Malawi defence and raced through on goal before dispatching beyond Sikelo.
The 37-year-old thought she’d ensured an emphatic conclusion for a truly dominant final performance, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.–ESPN
