The bid of Morocco to reach a third successive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final has ended in disappointment after Cameroon defeated the hosts on penalties following a goalless semi-final in Rabat.
The two teams could not find a breakthrough during 90 minutes at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, and neither managed to score during an additional 30 minutes of extra time.
The stalemate meant the semi-final had to be decided by penalties, with Morocco facing a shootout in the last four of the competition for the third tournament in a row.
But unlike their previous two appearances in this stage, the hosts were unable to emerge victorious.
Hanane Ait El Haj gave Morocco a positive start by scoring their first penalty. The advantage did not last, however, as the Atlas Lionesses struggled with their remaining efforts.
Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui Diki all missed from the spot, leaving Cameroon in a commanding position.
Marie Ngah and Bella Rose were among the Cameroon players to successfully convert their penalties, while Grâce Davila Mendoua was unable to score her attempt.
The result brought an end to Morocco’s previously flawless record in WAFCON shootouts.
Before Wednesday’s semi-final, Morocco had successfully converted all nine penalties they had taken during shootouts in the competition. Those efforts came in victories against Nigeria in the 2022 semi-final and Ghana in the 2024 semi-final.
Both of those wins had taken Morocco into the final, allowing them to compete for the continental title in consecutive tournaments.
However, Jorge Vilda’s team could not repeat that achievement against Cameroon, who secured their place in Sunday’s final.
Morocco had gone into the last four after overcoming South Africa 2-1 in the quarter-finals. That victory had already delivered an important reward, as it confirmed Morocco’s qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Cameroon, meanwhile, had reached the semi-finals after recording one of the tournament’s biggest results. They eliminated defending champions Nigeria with a 1-0 victory to book their place in the final four.
The Indomitable Lionesses will now face Malawi for the WAFCON title.
Malawi secured their historic place in the final earlier on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Algeria.
Tabitha Chawinga was the star of the semi-final, scoring twice, with her goals coming in the 33rd and 76th minutes. Her sister Temwa Chawinga also found the net shortly before half-time.
Algeria managed to pull a goal back through Ikram Adjabi in the 60th minute, but Malawi held on to complete a memorable victory.
Their progress represents an extraordinary achievement because Malawi are appearing at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
Their run to the semi-finals had already guaranteed the country its first qualification for the Women’s World Cup. Reaching the final has now taken their historic campaign another step further, giving them a chance to win the continental title at the first attempt.
Cameroon and Malawi will meet in the final in Rabat on Sunday, 16 August. According to CAF’s official tournament schedule, the match will begin at 20:00 local time.
Morocco still have the opportunity to finish the tournament with a medal, although their hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil are over.
The Atlas Lionesses will play Algeria in the third-place play-off on Saturday, 15 August, at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. That match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00.
The fixture will give Morocco an immediate opportunity to respond after their semi-final disappointment and will also renew their rivalry with their North African neighbours, having already faced Algeria during the group stage.
Morocco’s campaign therefore ends differently from the previous two editions. After finishing runners-up in 2022 and 2024, they had hoped to go one step further in 2026 and secure their first WAFCON title in front of a home crowd.
Instead, they will now have to settle their attention on the bronze-medal match, while Cameroon and first-time finalists Malawi prepare to contest the championship.
