Cameroon Stun Hosts Morocco on Penalties to Reach the WAFCON 2026 Final

What happened?

The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon reached the final of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday night, beating hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat after a semi-final that produced no goals across 120 minutes of football.

The decisive intervention came from Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who saved a Moroccan penalty in the 118th minute of extra time and then denied three more spot-kicks in the shootout itself. Cameroon converted their kicks, with teenage defender Myriam Maéva Nyadjou striking the winning penalty in front of a home crowd that had been expecting a Moroccan final.

Key points

• Cameroon 0-0 Morocco after extra time; Cameroon won the shootout 3-1.
• Michaely Bihina saved a 118th-minute penalty from Fatima Tagnaout, then three shootout kicks from Kenza Chappelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui.
• Myriam Maéva Nyadjou scored the decisive penalty for Cameroon.
• It is Cameroon's first WAFCON final since 2016, and their first win in four WAFCON penalty shootouts.
• Cameroon face Malawi in Sunday's final after the Scorchers beat Algeria 3-1 in the other semi-final.

A goalless battle

Neither side could force a breakthrough in normal time. Morocco, playing at home and carrying the weight of a nation that has invested heavily in the women's game over the past five years, controlled long spells of possession without turning territory into clear chances. Cameroon defended in a compact block, absorbed pressure and looked to counter, and the match went to extra time still level at 0-0.

Extra time followed the same pattern until the 118th minute, when Morocco were awarded a penalty and, with it, what looked like the last act of the tie.

Bihina the hero

Bihina saved Fatima Tagnaout's spot-kick to keep the tie alive. The 22-year-old then produced one of the great goalkeeping performances of the tournament in the shootout, turning away efforts from Kenza Chappelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui as the Rabat crowd fell silent.

It was not a one-off. Bihina had already made nine saves in Cameroon's quarter-final win over defending champions Nigeria, a result that reshaped the bottom half of the draw and turned an unfancied side into genuine contenders.

Why it matters

Cameroon had lost all three of their previous WAFCON penalty shootouts, a record that had become part of the team's story. Breaking it away from home, against the hosts, changes the frame: this is a side that now closes out tight matches rather than losing them.

For Morocco, the defeat is a setback in a project that has otherwise moved quickly, from hosting rights and professional league investment to consecutive deep tournament runs. For the wider continental game, a semi-final decided by a goalkeeper in front of a full stadium is precisely the kind of night that sustains broadcast and sponsorship interest in African women's football.

What happens next?

Cameroon meet Malawi in Sunday's final. The Scorchers reached their first WAFCON final by beating Algeria 3-1, with a brace from Tabitha Chawinga and a goal from her sister Temwa. Whoever wins, the trophy will change hands from Nigeria for the first time in this cycle.

All four semi-finalists — Cameroon, Malawi, Morocco and Algeria — have already secured qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, so Sunday is about silverware and seeding rather than survival.