Thousands of Cameroonians took to the streets of Yaoundé on Monday to welcome the national women’s football team after its historic 3-0 victory over Malawi in the final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The Indomitable Lionesses returned from Morocco to a packed reception at Yaoundé’s international airport, where hundreds of supporters gathered on the tarmac to celebrate the country’s first WAFCON title. Fans waved Cameroonian flags, wore national team jerseys and held their phones aloft as the players arrived with the trophy. The celebrations later moved into the capital’s streets, where large crowds lined the roads as the team took part in a victory parade.

The celebrations followed Cameroon’s emphatic win over Malawi in Sunday’s final in Rabat. Cameroon scored three times to secure the championship, with Marie Ngah scoring twice in the first half before Naomi Ndjoah Eto completed the victory. The result marked a major milestone for Cameroonian women’s football. The Lionesses had previously reached the WAFCON final three times but had finished runners-up on each occasion. Their victory in Morocco ended that run and gave the team its first continental championship.

The team’s arrival turned into a national celebration, with men, women and children gathering along the streets of Yaoundé to see the players and the trophy. At the airport, supporters recorded the arrival on their phones while others waved flags and cheered the players. The atmosphere continued through the capital as the team’s parade drew crowds along the route.

The celebrations reflected the significance of the result for a team that had come close to winning the continental title on several previous occasions. Cameroon’s victory was also notable because Malawi had reached the final on its first appearance at the WAFCON. The Malawian team had enjoyed a strong tournament run before facing Cameroon in the championship match.

The victory came after Cameroon overcame a difficult path to the tournament and eventually established itself as the strongest side in the final. The team entered the championship as an experienced contender but had never lifted the women’s continental trophy. Its previous final appearances in 2004, 2014 and 2016 had all ended in defeat. The 2026 triumph therefore represents a significant addition to Cameroon’s women’s football record and gives the country a major continental title to celebrate.

Cameroonian President Paul Biya also congratulated the team after the final, praising the players for what he described as a successful performance. For the supporters who filled Yaoundé on Monday, the celebrations were not simply about the final score. They marked the arrival of a national team returning home with a trophy that Cameroon had pursued through several previous WAFCON campaigns. The Lionesses’ victory in Morocco has now been followed by a homecoming that has brought the players and supporters together across the capital, with the trophy at the centre of the celebrations.