Online Reporter
MICHAELY BIHINA was the heroine as the Cameroon goalkeeper saved an extra-time penalty and three more spot-kicks in a shoot-out to send her side through to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations football final at the expense of host nation Morocco on Wednesday night.
The 22-year-old pushed away Fatima Tagnaout’s attempt from 12 yards in the 118th minute to ensure the game in Rabat finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Bihina then brilliantly kept out efforts from Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui to leave the Moulay Hassan Stadium in stunned silence.
Teenage Cameroon defender Maryam Nyadjou held her nerve to secure a 3-1 win on penalties for the Central Africans.1
The Indomitable Lionesses will face Malawi in Sunday’s final (9pm Zimbabwean time) after the southern Africans beat Algeria 3-1 earlier on Wednesday.
Cameroon’s run to the final is all the more remarkable given they were knocked out in qualifying and only progressed to the finals on the strength of their world ranking after the Confederation of African Football decided to expand the tournament to 16 teams midway through the preliminary process.
While the first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final was littered with chances and incident, the late game in the capital was a far tighter affair.
Morocco created little to reflect their dominance of the ball against an organised and disciplined Cameroon side who grew in confidence in the latter stages of the second-half.
The Atlas Lionesses came close to an opener in the 14th minute when Sanaa Mssoudy diverted Hanane Ait El Haj’s right-wing cross against the right-hand upright, and the forward also thrashed into the side-netting on the hour mark.
A flurry of late chances came at the end of regulation time, with Imane Saoud shooting straight at Bihina, Mssoudy heading wide and Michaela Abam firing over the Morocco bar.
Abam then had a shot blocked towards the end of the first period of extra-time and Morocco defender Atiq headed over in the second half. — BBC Sport Africa.
