Cameroon began their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Mali in Casablanca, thanks to a brace from Marie Gisele Ngah Manga that secured all three points for the Lionnes Indomptables.
Playing at the Stade Larbi Zaouli on Wednesday, Cameroon made a bright start with a goal in the 14th minute when Ngah Manga found space between two defenders before finishing confidently after being played through inside the penalty area.
Mali responded in the 30th minute after being awarded a penalty. Aissata Traore calmly converted from the spot to restore parity and send the two teams into the halftime break level at 1-1.
The second half remained closely contested, with Cameroon pushing for a winner while Mali looked threatening on counter-attack. The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Mali goalkeeper Fatimatou Karentao fouled Ngah Manga inside the penalty area.
The Cameroon forward stepped up to take the resulting penalty and converted confidently to score her second goal of the match and restore her side’s lead.
Cameroon successfully defended their advantage in the closing stages to claim an important opening victory and make a positive start to their Group-stage campaign.
The result gives the Lionnes Indomptables early momentum in the tournament, with Ngah Manga emerging as the standout performer. For Mali, Traore’s equaliser briefly revived hopes, but the team was unable to find a second response and will now look to bounce back in their next fixture to keep their qualification hopes alive.
