Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina denied Morocco four times as Cameroon won a penalty shootout 3-1 after 120 goalless minutes in Rabat.
Michaely Bihina saved four penalties in two hours. That was the difference.
At 22 years old, Cameroon's goalkeeper turned a night of defensive endurance into a masterclass in shootout execution, denying Morocco 3-1 on spot-kicks after neither team could find a way through in 120 minutes at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday. The Indomitable Lionesses reached their fifth WAFCON final—and their first since 2016—by staying organised when everything favoured the hosts.
Morocco had the run of play. They held 64 per cent possession and fired 13 shots, but only three found the target. Sanaa Mssoudy struck the post in the 14th minute and later had the ball nestle against the side-netting. Imane Saoud, Michaela Abam and Meryem Atiq all created chances too. Cameroon offered little in open play—seven shots, most of them hopeful—but they suffocated space and allowed nothing clear until the mathematics of the shootout took over.
Then came 118 minutes. VAR found that Cameroon defender Maryam Nyadjou had caught Sakina Ouzraoui across the face with her arm. A penalty. Bihina read it, moved early and saved it. That moment, more than anything Morocco had done before, suggested this was not their night.
In the shootout, Cameroon's nerve held. Marie Ngah scored. Rose Bella scored. Myriam Nyadjou scored. For Morocco, only Hanane Aït El Haj converted. Kenza Chapelle, Meryem Atiq and Ouzraoui all missed. Bihina denied them all three. She was named Woman of the Match.
This was not a shock shaped by performance. Morocco, the home nation, had reached three straight WAFCON final fours and won their last two semi-finals on penalties—against Nigeria in 2022 and Ghana in 2024. They had converted all nine penalties taken across previous shootouts at the tournament. The logic of form and advantage pointed one way. Cameroon had lost all three of their previous WAFCON shootouts.
What happened instead was a collision between home pressure and visitor discipline. Coach Jorge Vilda acknowledged the wound. Morocco women's national team coach Jorge Vilda expressed his deep disappointment after the Atlas Lionesses were eliminated,
Morocco World News reported, with Vilda describing the defeat as a big wound
for the squad.
Cameroon's path here included a 1-0 quarter-final win over defending champions Nigeria—their first quarter-final victory in the tournament's history and their second-ever win over Nigeria at a WAFCON. They arrived in Rabat battle-tested.
Now they will face Malawi in the final on Sunday, August 16 at 8 p.m. local time. Cameroon are chasing their first continental title. They have reached four previous WAFCON finals and fallen short each time. The last came in 2016. Bihina, by then probably still in school, will carry the weight of that history into the biggest match of her career so far.
Key points
- Cameroon reached the WAFCON final for the fifth time by defeating hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
- Goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, 22, saved Morocco's spot-kick from Fatima Tagnaout in the 118th minute and denied three more in the shootout, earning Woman of the Match.
- Morocco dominated possession with 64 per cent and 13 shots but managed only three on target, while Cameroon remained compact and disciplined to force extra time.
- Cameroon converted penalties through Marie Ngah, Rose Bella and Myriam Nyadjou, while Morocco scored only through Hanane Aït El Haj.
- Cameroon will face Malawi in the final on August 16, chasing their first WAFCON title in their first final appearance since 2016.
Sources
- CAF — Morocco vs Cameroon WAFCON 2026 semi-final match stats
- beIN SPORTS — Cameroon defeat Morocco on penalties
- Punch — Cameroon beat hosts Morocco on penalties
- OzaRab Media — Bihina sends Cameroon into WAFCON final
- Pulse Sports — Michaely Bihina's penalty-shootout heroics
- PM News Nigeria — Cameroon stun Morocco on penalties
- Morocco World News — Morocco miss WAFCON final
- beIN SPORTS — Cameroon vs Malawi WAFCON final
- CAF — Cameroon vs Nigeria quarter-final match stats
- beIN SPORTS — Cameroon vs Morocco WAFCON semi-final
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