The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ended with Cameroon lifting their first WAFCON title.
The Indomitable Lionesses beat Malawi 3-0 in Sunday’s final in Rabat. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice, while Naomi Eto added the other goal.
Beyond the final result, the tournament also recognised its standout performers.
Temwa Chawinga claimed the Golden Boot. Monique Ngock won Player of the Tournament. Michaely Bihina took the Best Goalkeeper award.
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Temwa Chawinga wins Golden Boot
Chawinga finished WAFCON 2026 with five goals and two assists.
Four players ended the tournament on five goals. However, Chawinga won the Golden Boot on the tiebreaker. Her two assists gave her the edge.
The Malawi forward made an immediate impact in the tournament.
She scored twice in Malawi’s 3-2 victory over Nigeria. That result stunned the defending champions and announced Malawi as serious contenders.
Chawinga then scored in Malawi’s 3-1 group-stage win over Egypt.
She also scored and provided an assist in the 2-1 quarter-final victory over Ghana.
Her five goals and two assists helped Malawi reach their first WAFCON final.
Monique Ngock named Player of the Tournament
Cameroon midfielder Monique Ngock collected the biggest individual honour.
She played a major role in Cameroon’s run to the title. Her influence went beyond goals and assists.
Ngock stood out for her work in midfield. She helped Cameroon control games and protect their defence.
Her performance against Ghana showed that impact clearly.
Ngock won 17 duels against the Black Queens. She also completed seven of eight tackles. That gave her an 88 percent tackling success rate.
She also helped Cameroon reach the final by beating hosts Morocco on penalties.
Cameroon then completed their historic campaign against Malawi. Ngock’s all-round contribution earned her the Player of the Tournament award.
Michaely Bihina takes Best Goalkeeper award
Michaely Bihina was another key figure in Cameroon’s success.
The goalkeeper kept four clean sheets during the tournament. Those came against Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, and Malawi.
Her biggest performance came against hosts Morocco.
The semi-final finished goalless after extra time. Morocco then received a penalty in extra time.
Bihina saved Fatima Tagnaout’s effort.
She then saved three more penalties during the shootout. Cameroon won 3-1 on penalties and reached the final.
That meant Bihina saved four Moroccan penalties in the same match.
Her heroics helped Cameroon eliminate both Nigeria and Morocco in the knockout rounds.
Marie Ngah Manga shines in the final
Marie Ngah Manga also finished among the tournament’s biggest stars.
She scored twice in the 3-0 final victory over Malawi. Her first goal came in the 20th minute. She added another in first-half stoppage time.
The double took her tournament tally to five goals.
Ngah Manga had already impressed earlier in the competition. She scored twice against Mali in Cameroon’s opening match. She then added the winning goal against Ghana.
Her final performance earned her the Player of the Final award.
Full list of WAFCON 2026 award winners
- Champions: Cameroon
- Runners-up: Malawi
- Top Scorer: Temwa Chawinga
- Player of the Tournament: Monique Ngock
- Best Goalkeeper: Michaely Bihina
- Fair Play Award: Algeria
- Player of the Final: Marie Ngah Manga
Cameroon therefore dominated the individual awards.
Chawinga, Ngock, Bihina and Ngah Manga all produced defining moments. Their performances helped shape a memorable WAFCON 2026 campaign.
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