Michaely Bihina WAFCON: Why Cameroon’s Keeper Is Making Waves At The Tournament
Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina has emerged as one of the standout breakout stars of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), producing a string of extraordinary performances that have propelled the Indomitable Lionesses into Sunday’s final against Malawi.
The 22-year-old shot-stopper has anchored Cameroon’s run through the knockout stages, keeping clean sheets in three consecutive matches against Ghana, defending champions Nigeria, and hosts Morocco, some of the strongest teams in the competition. Her performances have earned her back-to-back TotalEnergies Woman of the Match awards, cementing her status as one of the tournament’s most talked-about names across the continent.
Bihina’s defining moment arguably came in Cameroon’s quarter-final clash against Nigeria on August 9, 2026, when she produced a stunning nine-save display to help her side secure a historic 1-0 victory over the record 10-time African champions. The result not only sent Cameroon into the semi-finals but also secured the Indomitable Lionesses’ qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2019. It marked only Cameroon’s second-ever win over Nigeria in 14 WAFCON meetings between the two nations, the most contested fixture in the tournament’s history.
She followed that performance with an even more dramatic showing in the semi-final against tournament hosts Morocco on August 12. After a goalless 120 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout, and Bihina proved decisive, saving an extra-time spot kick from Fatima Tagnaout before denying three further Moroccan penalty-takers — Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui — in the shootout itself. Her heroics helped Cameroon secure a 3-1 shootout win and book their place in the final, leaving the Moulay Hassan Stadium in stunned silence.
Bihina’s journey to continental stardom has been built through a steady rise in domestic and international football. She began her top-flight career with Canon of Yaoundé before joining Nkoldongo, representing Cameroon at the 2019 African Games at just 15 years old. She later moved to Eclair FF de Sa’a in October 2019, where her overall pitch awareness saw her occasionally deployed as a forward. In August 2022, she made her move to European football with Portuguese side Racing Power, helping the club win promotion from the second division and finish third in the top flight, where she was also named the league’s best goalkeeper. She has since joined Benfica, where she has continued to develop into one of the most promising young goalkeepers on the continent.
Her exceptional form at WAFCON 2026 has positioned her as a strong contender for several individual honours, including a place in the Team of the Tournament, the award for Best Goalkeeper of the competition, and potentially the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Speaking on her preparation for the semi-final against Morocco, Bihina revealed that she had specifically studied how Moroccan players tend to strike their penalties, a level of tactical preparation that paid off decisively during the shootout.
Cameroon now face Malawi in the WAFCON final on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. GMT, with Bihina expected to once again be a central figure as the Indomitable Lionesses chase their first-ever continental title.
About the Author
