There are moments in the beautiful game when victory is more than a score line. There are moments when a trophy becomes a statement, a response to doubt and a vindication of those who dared to believe. Cameroon’s historic triumph at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is one such moment.

The Indomitable Lionesses’ 3–0 victory over Malawi on Sunday will be remembered as the day Cameroon finally conquered Africa in the women’s game. It was the country’s first-ever African women’s title—a landmark achievement that deserves celebration far beyond the football pitch. And at the centre of this remarkable story stands Samuel Eto’o.

The former captain of the Indomitable Lions has endured intense criticism during his tenure at the helm of Cameroonian football. His leadership has been questioned; his decisions attacked and prominent voices close to the political establishment like Mathias Eric Owona Nguini-the television and talk-show professor have openly called for his departure. For his detractors, the federation under Eto’o had become synonymous with disappointment and controversy. But football has a way of delivering its own verdict.

Cameroon’s qualification for this tournament was itself a story of redemption. The Lionesses initially failed to qualify, only to receive a second chance when the four highest-ranked losing teams were invited into the competition. Cameroon seized that opportunity with both hands. What followed was not merely survival—it was transformation.

Under the pressure of expectation and criticism, the Lionesses marched all the way to the final. There, against a Malawi side that had captured the imagination of the continent with its extraordinary fairytale run, Cameroon produced a commanding 3–0 performance to lift the trophy.

That victory belongs first and foremost to the players and coaching staff who made history on the pitch. But Eto’o, as the leader of the federation, deserves recognition for being at the helm when Cameroon finally reached this summit.

His critics may not suddenly disappear, nor should one trophy erase every legitimate debate about the administration of Cameroonian football. Leadership must always remain open to scrutiny. But criticism must also be balanced with acknowledgement when achievement arrives. And this achievement is enormous.

Samuel Eto’o does not need to answer his detractors with angry words, press conferences or political arguments. The Lionesses have provided the most powerful response possible: a trophy.

For decades, Cameroon has been a giant of African football, particularly in the men’s game. The Indomitable Lions have carried the nation’s colours to continental glory on multiple occasions. Now, for the first time, the women have written their own chapter in Cameroon’s football history. Eto’o can rightly celebrate this moment.

He inherited a football culture with enormous expectations and formidable challenges. Whatever the controversies surrounding his administration, guiding Cameroonian football to its first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations crown is a milestone that cannot be dismissed.

The Lionesses have shown that a second chance can become a historic opportunity. They have shown that setbacks do not have to define a team. And they have given their federation president something no critic can take away from him: a place in the story of Cameroon’s first African women’s championship.

Samuel Eto’o has heard the criticism. On Sunday, the Indomitable Lionesses answered it. And they answered it with gold.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

A clean sheet against record 10-time African winners and reigning champions Nigeria is the kind of result that etches your name in the history books. 

Bihina’s heroics that inspired Cameroon to a historic 1-0 win did not only ensure the Indomitable Lionesses have reached the semifinals of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 in Morocco but it also means they have qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2019. 

Right from the first minute of the game, the 22-year old custodian was tested by the Nigerian attack led by captain Rasheedat Ajibade but she established her presence strongly. 

Bihina understood the assignment. Carrying the weight of her nation on her shoulders, she showed that as the last line of resistence, Nigeria would need a miracle to go past her. 

Bihina. Bihina. Bihina. 

Allez! Allez! Allez [Let’s go] Bihina! The enthusiastic Cameroonian fans in the stands kept chanting her name in a bid to show their support to her. Every time, she made a save, they cheered her on and clapped for her. But most importantly, they enjoyed her jaw-dropping performance on an evening when Cameroon was desperate to register a positive result. 

This was the 14^th meeting between Cameroon and Nigeria at the WAFCON – the most played fixture at the continental showpiece. Cameroon had only won once before August 9, 2026. That win was thanks to a Gaelle Enganamouit goal that inspired the Indomitable Lionesses finish third at the WAFCON 2012 edition in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. 

Bihina was eight years, 10 months and 15 days back then. A child. 

Since then, Nigeria defeated Cameroon in back-to-back WAFCON finals in 2014 in Windhoek, Namibia and 2016 in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde. Cameroonians have never forgotten that loss at the fully packed Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in the capital. 

At the WAFCON 2018, Nigeria edged Cameroon 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in the semifinals and four years later, an Ajibade lone goal was enough for Nigeria to claim the win in the quarterfinals. Cameroon did not qualify for the 2024 edition played last year. 

For Bihina, who is featuring at the WAFCON for the very first time, it was about time Cameroon ended this jinx that had turned into a one-sided rivalry between the neighbours. 

“I am so happy right now. This is a dream come true. Playing in my first WAFCON and being able to beat Nigeria and qualify for the World Cup is historic. I am so excited and happy that as a team we have achieved this. I’m very emotional right now,” she says with barely a voice left thanks to the celebrations after the game. 

Shot stopper extraordinaire

Nine saves. A second clean sheet in four games. Only two goals conceded. This is the story of Bihina who plies her trade at Benfica in Portugal. Bihina admits that, “We had an objective going into this game – to change the history of our national team especially against Nigeria. I am happy. The team is happy. It is a great day for Cameroonian football.” 

When her personal stats were projected on the stadium screen, fans and opponents alike gave her a standing ovation. It was the kind of performance that one must applaud in the spirit of fair play. 

Away from the stands to the pitch, her former Benfica teammate and Nigerian midfielder Christy Onyenaturuchi Ucheibe who played her heart out in this matchup, walked up to her, hugged her and congratulated her. They exchanged jerseys. More applause from the fans. 

“She praised me and said she was happy for me and that I deserve it. She is my dear friend. We have been at Benfica together and that means so much to me that she did that,” Bihina reveals exclusively to CAFOnline. 

“For me personally, it has been a long journey of hard work and discipline. I continue to work with humility and try to improve every other day. I’m glad to be here playing for Cameroon.” 

Born in Ekounou, Nkoldongo in Yaounde, Bihina started out as a striker and as she continued growing tall for her age, she switched to goalkeeping. “My coach told me that I was too tall to be a striker and that I would do better as a goalkeeper. I did that and six months later, I was summoned to the national team,” she remembers with a big grin on her face.  

At 15, Bihina got her first test of Nigeria’s dominance when they defeated Cameroon in the final 3-2 on penalties after a goalless draw at the 2019 African Games. This stayed with her. She continued working on her craft that saw her join Portuguese second division side Racing Power. She helped them win the league title and gain promotion to the topflight division. 

Her exploits attracted attention from the rest of the league but most importantly the league giants SL Benfica who successfully signed her on February 1 this year. She won the double adding the league and Portuguese Cup to her name.

Coming off this spectacular season with Benfica, Bihina has now added reaching the WAFCON 2026 last four with a chance to win the WAFCON for Cameroon for the very first time and World Cup qualification to her illustrious curriculum vitae. 

N’Kono, Antoine Bell, Kameni, Onana, Bihina…

Reeling and in tears of joy, Bihina was lifted into the air by her teammates immediately center referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa blew the full time whistle. As she received the Woman of the Match Award, she could not believe it. So many emotions ran through her body. A moment of truth had come at the right place for her. 

“It was a great day for me to show that Cameroon has good goalkeepers. It is an honour for me to be in the same sentence with these great Cameroonian goalkeepers who have represented our country over the years,” she says when asked about her nation’s goalkeeping legacy. 

Bihina finds herself in the same sentence with Cameroonian greats like the iconic Thomas N’Kono and Joseph Antoine Bell who dominated global headlines when they won the AFCON in 1984 and 1988. A clean sheet against Diego Maradona’s Argentina in their opening match at the FIFA World Cup 1990 in Italy was the only introduction the world needed to know about Cameroon’s goalkeeping prowess. 

The list is long – Jacques Songo’o, Carlos Kameni, Alioum Boukar, André Onana and his cousin Fabrice Ondoa. Cameroon has continuously produced world class goalkeepers and Bihina is keen to continue working hard to make her nation proud and to inspire other young Cameroonians – female and male to believe in themselves and to work hard. 

The wall between the posts for Cameroon, Bihina, will now face yet another massive test when the Indomitable Lionesses take on the hosts and back-to-back WAFCON finalists Morocco on Wednesday at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat at 21h00.