The Indomitable Lionesses, Cameroon's women's team
Nicknamed the Indomitable Lionesses, echoing the men's Lions, Cameroon's women's team played its first official match on 15 June 1991 in Lagos, losing 2-0 to Nigeria. For thirty years it kept running into that same neighbour and falling at the last hurdles on the continent, while making a name for itself on the world stage: last 16 of the World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and the London Olympics in 2012. On 16 August 2026, in Rabat, it finally won its first Women's Africa Cup of Nations, beating Malawi 3-0. This page covers its record, its great players, its coaches and the rows over bonuses.
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At a glance
- Nickname
- Indomitable Lionesses
- First match
- 15 June 1991, Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon (Lagos)
- Best African result
- African champions 2026
- Best World Cup result
- Round of 16 (2015, 2019)
- FIFA ranking
- 71st (16 June 2026); best: 41st (July 2019)
- Head coach
- Valentine Nguélé, since 12 June 2026
- Record holder
- Madeleine Ngono Mani: 87 caps, 40 goals
At the Africa Cup: three lost finals, then the title
As early as 1991, when the African championship was still played over two legs, Cameroon reached the final and lost it to Nigeria (0-2, 0-4). Three decades of semi-finals and third-place play-offs followed. The Lionesses lost three more finals: in 2004 (0-5 to Nigeria), in 2014 in Namibia (0-2, Nigeria again) and in 2016 on home soil, when Nigeria won 1-0 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé on 3 December 2016. That tournament was played in Yaoundé and Limbe.
The 2026 edition in Morocco began badly: knocked out in qualifying by Algeria (1-2 in Oran, 0-1 in Douala in October 2025), the Lionesses were given a reprieve on 3 November 2025, when CAF expanded the tournament from 12 to 16 teams and admitted the four best losers based on the FIFA ranking. They made the most of it: a 1-0 quarter-final win over holders Nigeria on 9 August, a penalty shoot-out win over Morocco in the semi-final (0-0, 3-1 on penalties), then a 3-0 win over Malawi in the final on 16 August 2026. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Eto added the third.
| Edition | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Two legs | Runners-up (0-6 on aggregate to Nigeria) |
| 2002 | Nigeria | 3rd |
| 2004 | South Africa | Runners-up (0-5 to Nigeria) |
| 2006, 2008, 2010 | Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa | 4th |
| 2012 | Equatorial Guinea | 3rd |
| 2014 | Namibia | Runners-up (0-2 to Nigeria) |
| 2016 | Cameroon | Runners-up (0-1 to Nigeria) |
| 2018 | Ghana | 3rd |
| 2022 | Morocco | Quarter-finals |
| 2026 | Morocco | Champions (3-0 v Malawi) |
The Lionesses have also shone at the African Games: bronze in 2003, gold in 2011 in Mozambique (1-0 against Ghana in the final, scored by Madeleine Ngono Mani) and silver in 2015.
World Cups and the Olympics
Qualified thanks to their 2014 final, Cameroon made their World Cup debut in Canada in 2015 and started with a bang: 6-0 against Ecuador in Vancouver, with a hat-trick from Gaëlle Enganamouit. Beaten by Japan (1-2), the Lionesses then beat Switzerland (2-1) before losing to China in the last 16 (0-1). They became the second African side, after Nigeria in 1999, to get out of the group stage. In France in 2019, after two defeats (Canada 0-1, Netherlands 1-3), two goals from Ajara Nchout against New Zealand (2-1), the second in stoppage time, took them through again; England knocked them out in the last 16 (0-3).
| Edition | Group stage | Round of 16 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (Canada) | Ecuador 6-0, Japan 1-2, Switzerland 2-1 | China 0-1 |
| 2019 (France) | Canada 0-1, Netherlands 1-3, New Zealand 2-1 | England 0-3 |
In 2012 Cameroon qualified for the Olympics for the first time, knocking out Nigeria on penalties. In London they lost all three matches: 0-5 to Brazil, 0-3 to Great Britain and 1-3 to New Zealand. It remains their only Olympic appearance. WAFCON 2026 also served as qualifying for the 2027 World Cup: by beating Nigeria in the quarter-final on 9 August 2026, the Lionesses booked their third World Cup place.
Key players
- Madeleine Ngono Mani: most caps (87) and most goals (40), scorer in the 2011 African Games final.
- Gaëlle Enganamouit: hat-trick against Ecuador at the 2015 World Cup and a goal in the 2014 WAFCON semi-final.
- Gabrielle Onguéné (Aboudi Onguéné): a forward since the 2000s, scorer at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, captain at WAFCON 2026.
- Ajara Nchout: scored both goals against New Zealand that sent Cameroon through at the 2019 World Cup.
- Christine Manie: a defender and leader of the 2012-2019 generation.
- The 2026 generation: Monique Ngock, player of WAFCON 2026; Michaely Bihina, best goalkeeper; Marie Ngah Manga, joint top scorer with 5 goals; Naomi Eto, Maéva Nyadjou (scorer against Nigeria) and captain Colette Ndzana.
Head coaches
Valentine Nguélé, a former international goalkeeper with a CAF A licence, was appointed on 12 June 2026, the first woman to coach the team. Two months later she won WAFCON, with Frenchman Dimitri Lipoff as team coordinator.
| Coach | Period | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Enow Ngachu | 2003 - June 2017 | 2012 Olympics, 2015 World Cup, 2014 and 2016 finals |
| Joseph Ndoko | June 2017 - January 2019 | 3rd at WAFCON 2018 |
| Alain Djeumfa | January 2019 - June 2021 | Last 16 at the 2019 World Cup |
| Gabriel Zabo | June 2021 - August 2023 | WAFCON 2022 quarter-final |
| Jean-Baptiste Bisseck | August 2023 - October 2025 | Knocked out in WAFCON 2026 qualifying |
| Joséphine Ndoumou Mike (interim) | February - June 2026 | Interim spell |
| Valentine Nguélé | Since June 2026 | African champions 2026 |
Bonuses and conditions: the rows
The payment of bonuses keeps resurfacing. After the 2015 World Cup, the website Camer.be reported on 25 June 2015 that the players had not yet received the 21.5 million CFA francs announced per player (15 million for taking part, 6 million for the two wins and 500,000 francs in appearance money). According to the same article, paperwork was missing and the players were disputing a 16.5% income-tax deduction they had not been told about.
The amount of bonuses paid after the 2026 title could not be found in an official source at the time of writing. Bonus disputes also affect the men's team (see the page on FECAFOOT).
Frequently asked questions
Have the Indomitable Lionesses ever won WAFCON?
Yes, once: on 16 August 2026 in Rabat, beating Malawi 3-0 in the final. They had previously lost the 1991, 2004, 2014 and 2016 finals, all to Nigeria.
Who coaches the Indomitable Lionesses?
Valentine Nguélé, a former international goalkeeper, appointed on 12 June 2026. She is the first woman to hold the job.
What is Cameroon's best result at the Women's World Cup?
The last 16, reached in Canada in 2015 (lost 0-1 to China) and in France in 2019 (0-3 to England). Cameroon has qualified for Brazil 2027.
Who scored in the WAFCON 2026 final?
Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Eto got the third goal in the 3-0 win over Malawi.
Who is the Lionesses' all-time top scorer?
Madeleine Ngono Mani, with 40 goals in 87 caps, both team records.
What is Cameroon's women's FIFA ranking?
71st in the ranking of 16 June 2026, published before the continental title. Its highest position was 41st, in July 2019.
Handle with care
The number of WAFCON appearances depends on whether the hostless 1991 edition is counted (11 according to English Wikipedia, 13 according to CAF and French Wikipedia). Lists of coaches differ: English Wikipedia has Alain Djeumfa returning in 2025, while French Wikipedia and 2026 press reports cite an interim spell by Joséphine Ndoumou Mike followed by Valentine Nguélé. The FIFA ranking quoted predates the 2026 title.