Cameroon knocked Morocco out on penalties (0-0, 1-3) at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium and will play the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday 16 August against Malawi, who had gone through a few hours earlier.
Both sides had held their 2027 World Cup places since reaching the semi-finals. What was at stake tonight was Sunday, and a goalkeeper settled it.
One clear chance in 120 minutes, and it was a penalty
Morocco had the ball — 64% possession — took thirteen shots to seven and won eight corners to four. But in two hours they created a single clear chance, and it came in the 118th minute.
It was a penalty. Sakina Ouzraoui took Maéva Nyadjou’s arm in the face inside the box; Togolese referee Vincentia Enyonam Amedome reviewed it on the monitor and pointed to the spot. Hanane Aït El Haj stepped up to take it, but Fatima Tagnaout ended up striking it.
Michaely Bihina went the right way and saved it.
That penalty accounts for almost the whole expected-goals split in extra time: 0.76 for Morocco, 0.02 for Cameroon.
The woodwork had warned them
The hosts started on top. In the 13th minute an Aït El Haj cross found Sanaâ Mssoudy’s head and the effort came back off the post.
They never got that close again. By the hour Morocco had 64% of the ball and had put only 12.5% of their shots on target. Mssoudy sent another into the side netting from a tight angle in the 60th and missed a header from point-blank range in the 90th.
Cameroon, who had seven shots in 120 minutes and created no clear chance at all, defended: 37 clearances to 29, 21 interceptions to 11 and 81 duels won to 66.
Four saves and a final
In the shootout, Aït El Haj and Marie Ngah Manga scored the first two.
Then Bihina saved from Kenza Chapelle — brought on in the 120+2 with the shootout already in mind — and Khadija Er-Rmichi answered by keeping out Grâce Mendoua.
Bihina saved the third too, from defender Maryame Atiq. Rose Bella put Cameroon ahead and Bihina kept out Morocco’s fourth as well, from Ouzraoui, the one with the cut lip.
Maéva Nyadjou finished it: the same player who had conceded the 118th-minute penalty, been booked for it, and been carried off on a stretcher with cramp in the 97th. She scored the kick that takes Cameroon back to an African final.
Bihina ended the night with four penalties saved — the three in the shootout and the one in the 118th — and 1.06 goals prevented.
What this result breaks
Cameroon had never beaten the host nation at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations: six matches, no wins. In the three semi-finals they had played against the host country they lost all three without scoring.
Morocco, by contrast, had come through both of their previous semi-finals on penalties.
The Atlas Lionesses, chasing a third consecutive final at home, play the third-place match on Saturday 15 August. The bracket closes on Sunday.
