Ngah double fires Cameroon to historic first Women’s AFCON crown
Cameroon have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, powered by a decisive brace from Ngah in the final, according to ARN News Centre.
The Indomitable Lionesses, long cast in the shadow of Cameroon’s storied men’s team, lifted the continental trophy with a 3-0 victory over Malawi in a breakthrough moment for women’s football in the Central African country. Ngah’s two goals led the way in the final, capping a tournament in which the squad grew in belief with each round.
Background on the competition
The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is the flagship national-team competition for women in African football, organised by the Confederation of African Football. Since its launch in 1991, the tournament has grown from a small eight-team event into one of the most-watched women’s sporting competitions on the continent, and it now serves as Africa’s qualifying pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cameroon’s place in African football
Cameroon’s men’s side is one of the most decorated in Africa, with multiple Africa Cup of Nations titles and a famous run to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals in Italy. The women’s programme has historically struggled to match that pedigree, with prior continental campaigns ending short of the trophy despite producing players who have gone on to compete in Europe. The result, as ARN News Centre reported, changes that narrative and places the country firmly on the map of African women’s football.
The victory is expected to sharpen focus on investment in the women’s game domestically, at a time when several African federations are expanding their women’s leagues and youth pathways ahead of the next World Cup cycle.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
