CAMEROONONLINE.ORG | The Indomitable Lionesses are going to the WAFCON final — and once again, goalkeeper Michaely Bihina was at the heart of a heroic Cameroonian performance.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses produced a night to remember in Rabat on Wednesday, August 12, eliminating hosts Morocco after a tense penalty shootout to book their place in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
After 120 minutes of football ended 0-0, Cameroon held their nerve from the penalty spot while Morocco faltered, bringing an end to the Atlas Lionesses’ hopes of reaching a third consecutive WAFCON final.
But while Cameroon’s victory was built on collective discipline, courage and resilience, one player once again stood tallest when the pressure was greatest:
Michaely Bihina.
Bihina Does It Again
For Cameroonian supporters who watched the quarter-final victory over Nigeria, Bihina’s performance against Morocco will have felt familiar.
Against defending champions Nigeria just three days earlier, the 22-year-old goalkeeper delivered one of the outstanding individual performances of the tournament. She made nine saves as Cameroon protected a 1-0 advantage and eliminated the Super Falcons, reaching the WAFCON semi-finals while also securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. CAF confirmed that those nine saves were Bihina’s highest total in her first three appearances at the tournament.
Then came Morocco
This was a different challenge entirely. Cameroon were playing the tournament hosts, in Rabat, against a team that had reached the previous two WAFCON finals.
Once again, Bihina refused to be beaten.
Morocco could find no way past her during regulation time. They could not find a way past her during extra time either.
Ninety minutes became 120. The scoreboard still read Morocco 0-0 Cameroon.
ESPN recorded three saves for Bihina during the match, with the Cameroonian goalkeeper completing another clean sheet on one of the biggest nights of her international career.
For a goalkeeper, those numbers only tell part of the story.
There is also positioning. Command of the penalty area. Communication with defenders. Decision-making. And perhaps most importantly on nights like this, the ability to remain composed when one mistake could end an entire tournament.
Bihina gave Cameroon exactly that sense of security.
Then Came the Penalties
There could hardly have been a more intimidating setting for Cameroon.
Morocco had an extraordinary record from the penalty spot at WAFCON. Before Wednesday’s semi-final, the Atlas Lionesses had converted all nine penalties they had taken in previous WAFCON shootouts, defeating Nigeria in the 2022 semi-final and Ghana at the same stage in 2024.
Cameroon’s history was the complete opposite. Before this match, the Indomitable Lionesses had been involved in three WAFCON penalty shootouts — and had lost all three.
History therefore seemed to favor Morocco.
History did not matter.
Hanane Aït El Haj converted Morocco’s first kick, but the hosts then unravelled. Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui Diki all failed to convert as Cameroon seized the opportunity. Marie Ngah and Bella Rose successfully converted for the Lionesses, despite Grâce Davila Mendoua missing her attempt.
And behind it all stood Bihina.
After keeping Morocco scoreless for two hours, her presence in goal added another layer of pressure to a Moroccan side suddenly confronted by a goalkeeper whose confidence had been growing throughout this tournament.
For once, it was Cameroon celebrating a WAFCON shootout.
And what a moment to change history.
From Nigeria to Morocco: A Remarkable Few Days
What makes Bihina’s contribution particularly impressive is that this was not an isolated performance.
Within the space of a few days, Cameroon faced two of African women’s football’s biggest powers.
First came Nigeria, the defending champions and historically the dominant force in the competition.
Bihina made nine saves.
Cameroon won 1-0.
Then came Morocco, the host nation and finalists in both 2022 and 2024.
Bihina kept another clean sheet through 120 minutes.
Cameroon advanced on penalties.
That is the kind of run that can transform a goalkeeper from an important member of a team into one of the defining figures of a tournament.
For Cameroonians watching at home and across the diaspora, Bihina is rapidly becoming one of the faces of this remarkable Lionesses campaign.
More Than a Victory
This result also carries enormous significance for Cameroonian women’s football.
Cameroon are now heading to their fourth WAFCON final, following previous appearances in 2004, 2014 and 2016. Before Wednesday, the Lionesses had lost seven of their previous ten WAFCON semi-finals.
This team has therefore already broken through one major barrier.
Now another opportunity awaits.
Cameroon will face tournament debutants Malawi in the final on Sunday, August 16, in Rabat. Malawi continued their extraordinary campaign by defeating Algeria 3-1 in the other semi-final, with sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga providing all three goals.
It is a fascinating matchup.
Malawi are chasing a fairytale title in their first WAFCON appearance.
Cameroon are chasing a trophy that has remained tantalizingly out of reach despite decades among Africa’s strongest women’s football nations.
And Cameroon will enter that final knowing they have something every championship team needs:
A goalkeeper capable of changing games.
One More Match
Football tournaments often produce unlikely heroes.
Sometimes it is the striker who scores the winning goal.
Sometimes it is the midfielder who controls the game.
And sometimes, when everything is on the line, it is the goalkeeper standing alone between the posts.
For Cameroon at WAFCON 2026, Michaely Bihina has become that figure.
Against Nigeria, she protected a one-goal lead with save after save.
Against Morocco, she stood firm for 120 minutes as the host nation searched desperately for a breakthrough.
And when the pressure reached its maximum in the shootout, Cameroon finally conquered a penalty-shootout history that had previously brought nothing but disappointment.
The Indomitable Lionesses are in the final.
The dream of becoming African champions is alive.
And from Yaoundé to Douala, Buea to Bamenda, Garoua to Bertoua, and throughout the Cameroonian diaspora, there is one name supporters have every reason to remember:
Michaely Bihina.
One more match.
One more performance.
One more opportunity to make history.
Come on, Lionesses. Cameroon is watching.
