Cameroon Women host Benin in final AFCON warm-up match in Yaoundé

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses will complete their home preparations for the 2026 Women’s AFCON when they face Benin in an international friendly at the Military Stadium in Yaoundé on Saturday.

Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., with the fixture serving as the team’s final match on home soil before departing for Morocco, where they will continue preparations for the continental tournament.

The encounter represents an important opportunity for Cameroon as the coaching staff continues to assess the squad ahead of the competition. It will also provide the players with valuable match practice before they begin the next stage of their preparations outside the country.

For head coach Valentine Nguele, the friendly offers a chance to evaluate the progress made by the squad in training and observe how the team responds in a competitive environment before the Women’s AFCON begins.

A strong turnout is expected at the Military Stadium, where supporters will have one last opportunity to see the Indomitable Lionesses in action before they leave for their acclimatisation camp in Morocco.

According to Camfoot, the match marks Cameroon’s final appearance in front of their home fans ahead of the tournament.

Although officially a friendly, the fixture carries added significance for both teams. Cameroon will be aiming to build confidence and fine-tune their preparations, while Benin travel to Yaoundé determined to produce a positive result against one of Africa’s established women’s national teams.

The visitors have also completed their preparations for the match, with the Amazons conducting their stadium inspection on Friday ahead of the contest.

Cameroon secured qualification for the 2026 Women’s AFCON following the expansion of the tournament by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The upcoming edition will be the 16th staging of the competition, and the Lionesses will be looking to make the most of their return to the continental stage.

Following the friendly against Benin, Cameroon will travel to Morocco to continue preparations before the tournament officially begins.

The Indomitable Lionesses have been drawn in Group D, where they will face Ghana, Mali and Cape Verde during the group stage.

Reports indicate that the atmosphere within the Cameroon camp remains positive as the squad prepares for the journey to Morocco.

Saturday’s meeting with Benin is therefore expected to provide a final measure of the team’s readiness before attention turns fully to the challenge of competing at the 2026 Women’s AFCON.