Meet Michaely Bihina, the 22-Year-Old Goalkeeper Leading Cameroon to the WAFCON Final

If you have been following the action at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, there is one name currently dominating sports conversations across the continent: Michaely Bihina. The 22-year-old Cameroonian goalkeeper has anchored her nation’s run to the final, producing memorable performances between the posts and capturing the attention of football fans everywhere.

Her rise to the continental spotlight reached a high point during Cameroon’s tense 1-0 quarter-final victory against defending champions Nigeria. Bihina pulled off nine vital saves throughout the encounter to preserve the lead, earning her the TotalEnergies Woman of the Match award and helping secure Cameroon’s automatic ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

She followed that up in the semi-finals against host nation Morocco, where she stopped an extra-time penalty before saving three additional spot-kicks in the penalty shootout to send the Indomitable Lionesses straight into the WAFCON final. With three clean sheets and two Woman of the Match awards in this tournament alone, her presence in goal has been central to Cameroon’s success.

Born Kyria Inès Michaely Bihina on 28th December 2003 in Ekounou, Nkoldongo, Yaoundé, the 1.77-metre shot-stopper did not actually start out in goal. During her early days playing youth football in Yaoundé, she played as a striker. However, as she grew noticeably taller than her peers, her youth coach suggested that her height and reach would be better suited between the goalposts. The transition was swift; within six months of making the switch, she earned her first call-up to the national youth setup.

Bihina made her top-flight domestic debut with Canon of Yaoundé before joining Nkoldongo, where she represented Cameroon at the 2019 African Games at just 15 years old. She later moved to Eclair FF de Sa’a in October 2019, where she was even deployed as an occasional forward due to her overall pitch awareness.

In August 2022, she made her European move to Portuguese side Racing Power, helping them win the second division title, gain promotion, and finish third in the top flight—where she picked up the award for the best goalkeeper in the league after keeping 14 clean sheets during the 2023-2024 season. That impressive form prompted European giants SL Benfica to sign her on 1st February 2026, where she went on to win both the Portuguese League and Portuguese Cup double in her debut months.

Having made her senior international debut for Cameroon in September 2023 with a clean sheet against Kenya, Bihina has rapidly established herself on the global stage. Now, as Cameroon gear up to face Malawi in Sunday’s showpiece final, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the shot-stopper between the posts. If her performances so far are anything to go by, she is definitely one to watch out for as the Indomitable Lionesses chase continental glory.

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