Cameroon will face Malawi in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the Indomitable Lionesses attempt to break a long-standing continental curse and win the competition for the first time.
The final will be Cameroon’s fourth in the history of the tournament and comes 10 years after their most recent appearance in the showpiece match. Having returned to the latter stages after a decade away, the Lionesses now have the opportunity to turn a history of disappointment into the first major women’s international title for Cameroon.
Their record in previous finals is entirely against Nigeria. Cameroon lost 5-0 to the Super Falcons in 2004, were beaten 2-0 by the same opponents in 2014 and suffered a 1-0 defeat in 2016.
On each occasion, the Lionesses came within touching distance of the trophy before Nigeria proved too strong. The repeated setbacks have left Cameroon with an unfinished story in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, but this squad insists it is not defined by the failures of earlier generations.
Cameroon’s progress has been driven by a determined team performance and the form of goalkeeper Michaely Bihina. She made seven saves and stopped three penalties in the semi-final, playing a decisive role in sending her side through to Sunday’s final.
“We are warriors. We are a collective,” Bihina said.
That mentality has become central to a team which has recovered from previous disappointments and regained its place among Africa’s leading women’s sides. The Lionesses’ route to the final has also included victory over Nigeria, the team that had denied them in all three of their previous final appearances.
Malawi will provide the opposition after producing a surprise victory over Algeria. They arrive in the final with nothing to lose, while Cameroon have the chance to settle the pain of three defeats and deliver a landmark triumph for their country.
For the Indomitable Lionesses, the match represents more than another final. It is a chance to close a 22-year chapter that began with their defeat by Nigeria in 2004 and has continued through two further losses in the tournament’s showpiece fixture.
The Cameroon players have already reached the stage that eluded them since 2016. Now, with Malawi standing between them and the trophy, they want to complete the job and write a new ending to the story of the Lionesses in African women’s football.