How CAF's last-minute gesture opened an unlikely path for Cameroon to win 2026 Wafcon
Cameroon's women's national football team won the 2026 Wafcon after being granted a spot in the tournament due to a last-minute expansion by CAF. This victory marks their first title and highlights the growing influence of female coaches in African football.
Why it matters
The tournament expansion and subsequent victory demonstrate the impact of administrative decisions on sporting outcomes and the advancement of women in sports leadership.
Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene, Captain of Cameroon women's national football team, holds up a trophy while riding in an open vehicle during a victory parade following the team's Africa Cup of Nations triumph, as crowd cheers from the roadside in Yaounde, Cameroon, August 17, 2026.
Cameroon’s triumph at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) is one of the most remarkable stories of the tournament.
The Indomitable Lionesses were not even meant to be in Morocco following their elimination by Algeria in the final round of the qualifiers, losing 3-1 on aggregate. But CAF expanded the tournament from 12 to 16 teams, handing Cameroon a lifeline. The Indomitable Lionesses were among four best ranked teams that had failed to get past the final round of qualifiers, along with Egypt, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire. The four were given places in the 2026 Wafcon based on their superior Fifa ranking.
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