-
Cameroon joins Group D with Ghana, Mali, and Cape Verde in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (CAN).
-
The team was reinstated after initial elimination, following CAF’s expansion of the tournament to 16 teams.
-
Cameroon enters the tournament without a confirmed head coach less than two months before kickoff.
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) draw took place on Thursday, January 15, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, the host nation. Cameroon was placed in Group D alongside Ghana, Mali, and Cape Verde in a competitive pool.
Cameroon secured its spot in the tournament after initially being eliminated in the final qualifying round. The Lionnes Indomptables lost 1-2 in Oran on October 23, 2025, and 0-1 at home in Yaoundé on October 28, 2025, against Algeria, which had seemed to confirm a second consecutive absence from the CAN.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later expanded the tournament to 16 teams and filled the final slots based on FIFA world rankings. CAF reinstated the four highest-ranked eliminated teams from the second round: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Egypt. Cameroon, ranked 66th globally before the December 11, 2025 update (currently 77th), thus regained a place on the continental stage.
Preparation Amid Coaching Uncertainty
Cameroon enters the tournament without a head coach. Fecafoot has yet to appoint a replacement following the dismissal of Jean-Baptiste Bisseck, who was removed after the team’s initial non-qualification. This technical uncertainty could affect preparations with less than two months to the tournament start.
During their last CAN participation in 2022, Cameroon reached the quarter-finals before losing 0-1 to eventual champions Nigeria. Despite four final appearances, including the 2016 edition hosted at home, the Lionnes Indomptables have never won the continental trophy.
The 2026 Women’s CAN will begin on March 17, 2026, featuring 16 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final. The tournament will also serve as a qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil via playoffs.
P.N.N