Women's AFCON 2026: Michaely Bihina, Cameroon’s number 1 weapon for the final

Voted Player of the Match against Morocco, the Cameroonian goalkeeper keeps making history

Africa Today at 16:04

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Women's AFCON 2026: Michaely Bihina, Cameroon’s number 1 weapon for the final

12.08.26 AP Africa Women Cup of Nations

In a

Penalty? Saved. Penalty? Saved. Penalty? Saved. Penalty? Saved. Michaely. 🧤🇨🇲#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/CqPko6wx9j
— CAF Women Football (@CAFwomen) August 13, 2026

packed Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with nearly 50,000 Moroccans cheering against them, the Indomitable Lionesses clinched a spot in the final of the 2026 Women’s AFCON. Cameroon owes this achievement in large part to their goalkeeper, Michaely Bihina.

Two matches, two times Player of the Match

It all started against Nigeria in the quarter-finals. Cameroon opened the scoring in the 19th minute, provoking the wrath of the Super Falcons—ten-time champions. Michaely Bihina pulled off 9 sensational saves to secure Cameroon’s 1-0 victory. She was, unsurprisingly, named Woman of the Match.

In the semi-final against Morocco, the 22-year-old keeper broke Moroccan hearts once again. She did it again: 7 decisive saves, one penalty stopped in open play and three more turned away in the penalty shootout. Her record so far? Just 2 goals conceded in 5 matches, with 3 clean sheets. No one’s done better in this tournament.

A talent nurtured in Cameroon

Bihina’s journey commands respect. She began her training at Social FC du Mbam before moving to Canon de Yaoundé and then Éclair FC de Sa’a. Today, she guards the net for Benfica in Portugal. “I started playing when I was very young, with the boys at age 4, 5, 6. My parents wanted me to focus on school first. Then people told them I should give football a try,” Bihina recounts.

Michaely BIHINA will be crowned Best Goalkeeper of the Women’s AFCON on Sunday.
And if CAMEROON wins the tournament, she’ll also be named Best Player of the Women’s AFCON.
Then she’ll be crowned African Ballon d’Or 2026. The Benfica player is heading for the Grand Slam. https://t.co/522bdWE71s
— Jacques Eric ANDJICK (@andjick) August 13, 2026

From playing in her neighborhood to saving penalties in an AFCON semi-final, she’s never given up. A candidate for the Golden Glove? With these numbers, Bihina is in the running for everything: best goalkeeper of the tournament, and why not best player overall.

On Sunday’s final against Malawi, she’ll have the chance to finish the job and give the Lionesses their first ever Women’s AFCON title.