2026 Women’s AFCON: Winning Start For Lionesses

T he Indomitable Lio­ nesses of Cameroon made a successful return to the conti­ nental stage as they defea­ ted Mali 2-1 on July 29, 2026, in their opening Group D match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAF­ CON). A brace from Marie Gi­ sèle Ngah Manga made the difference for the Lionesses. From the outset, Coach Va­ lentine Nguele fielded players active in their res­ pective leagues, with Collette Ndzana starting as captain. The Cameroonian team ope­ ned the scoring in Casablanca through Ngah Manga at the 14th minute, despite strug­ gling to find their rhythm. Poor passing and their ina­ bility to make effective use of the flanks marred their play. As the match progres­ sed, Aissata Traoré equalized at the 30th minute from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Michaely Bihina had come out poorly to bring down Ais­ sata in the box. Before the kick was taken, however, re­ feree Antsino Twanya­ nyukwa and the VAR took about seven minutes to agree. Both sides continued to struggle. After all, the two teams entered the competi­ tion thanks to CAF’s expan­ sion of the tournament from 12 to 16 teams, with FIFA rankings serving as the basis for their inclusion. Coach Valentine Nguele made a few changes before the start of the second half, but they had little impact on the overall performance. Ho­ wever,...