One player has emerged as a national hero in Cameroon after her remarkable displays at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
There have even been calls in the Central African country for a statue to be erected in Michaely Bihina’s honour after her outstanding performances helped the Indomitable Lionesses reach their first final since 2016.
The young goalkeeper has been among the tournament’s standout players, earning player-of-the-match recognition against Nigeria in the quarter-finals and host nation Morocco in the semi-finals.
“I am incredibly happy and overwhelmed with emotion because this is the first time our generation has reached the final,” she said after stopping four penalties—one during extra time and three in the shootout—in Wednesday’s semi-final victory over Morocco.
“We are grateful to everyone who has supported us.”
The 22-year-old registered nine saves against Nigeria, the highest total by any goalkeeper in a single match at the tournament, as Cameroon eliminated the reigning champions and secured qualification for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Bihina called the occasion “an unforgettable day for football in Cameroon”.
“To compete in my first Wafcon, defeat Nigeria and earn a place at the World Cup is a historic achievement,” she told the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
“I am thrilled and proud of what we have accomplished together as a team.”
“We entered the match with a clear goal—to rewrite our national team’s history against Nigeria.”
Cameroon have previously been defeated by Nigeria in three Wafcon finals, in 2004, 2014 and 2016, but they will now meet first-time finalists Malawi in Sunday’s continental title decider at 19:00 GMT.
Bihina has played a central role in the Indomitable Lionesses’ impressive campaign, recording three clean sheets across five matches.
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