MOROCCO -- Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina was a relative unknown in African football ahead of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, but her performances during the tournament -- not least as her heroics dumped reigning champions Nigeria out of the WAFCON on Sunday -- have made her the toast of the continent.
Cape Verde's Vozinha made headlines around the globe when he made seven saves in the islanders' stunning FIFA World Cup-opening 0-0 draw against Spain in June, but Bihina arguably surpassed him with Africa's greatest goalkeeping performance of 2026 after she denied Nigeria nine times at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in the Super Falcons' quarterfinal exit.
Myriam Nyadjou's stunning 20th-minute free kick was ultimately enough for the Indomitable Lionesses to take the lead against the 10-time champions, but it was Bihina's heroics between the sticks that guaranteed Cameroon's spot at the World Cup and sent them through to the WAFCON semifinals.
"I was so excited, because I am the new generation of our national team," Bihina told ESPN.
"We know about Nigeria, every time [they beat] Cameroon, but we decided to change things. That motivation helped us a lot.
"Playing against such a big team was motivation, and playing against Nigeria is always difficult. So, yes, it was motivation.
"Before we got on the field, the coach said that we had to make history, that we were only 90 minutes from the World Cup. Either we decided to go [to Brazil], or we go back home."
Bihina's performance secured Cameroon's return to the grandest stage of all for the first time since France in 2019, after missing out on the last edition, with the 22-year-old headlining a new crop of players including goalscorer Nyadjou, 19, Achta Toko Njoya, 22, and Grace Mendoua, Monique Ngock and Naomi Eto (all 21).
"I'm very happy because we've qualified for the World Cup in Brazil," Bihina added. "We deserve it. We'll continue to work because the wait has been too long for us.
"It wasn't just me who made the [win], but also my defenders, my team, my strikers. We were happy because were didn't concede, we finished with a clean sheet."
Bihina was called into action consistently throughout the contest, as Nigeria -- delivering arguably their brightest attacking performance of the tournament -- took 19 shots during the bout, nine of which required interventions from the 22-year-old, and four were classed as big chances.
In the 70th minute, she pulled off arguably her best stop of the game, a left-handed save, despite initially appearing to move in the wrong direction, to deny Uchenna Kanu at point-blank range, although Bihina believed her ability to neutralise Nigeria's early onslaught was her decisive contribution to the victory.
"I think that my best stop was in the first minute, because they came onto us so strongly in the opening minutes," she shared. "We needed to be fully concentrated from the first minute.
"I have many inspirations, many of them," Benfica's Bihina revealed, sharing a little on her goalkeeping heroes.
"André Onana, Thibaut Courtois, there are many, also Manuel Neuer. In each of these goalkeepers, I try to take something from each of them."
Bihina was assured under pressure, commanding when required and repeatedly produced the kind of reflex interventions that gradually transformed what had begun as a defensive assignment into one of the finest individual performances of the tournament.
Nigeria had entered the contest as favourites and with the weight of their extraordinary WAFCON pedigree behind them, but in Bihina, Cameroon had a goalkeeper wholly convinced of her ability to deny the Falcons.
Captain Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene revealed afterwards that Bihina's performance had not come as the surprise to the Cameroon dressing room that it had to those watching from outside.
"Since yesterday, she had been telling me, 'This is my match,'" Onguene told ESPN. "I could sense that she was so focused.
"She kept saying: 'This is my match. Don't worry, this is my match', and today, nothing surprised us. She played her match.
"I'm really happy with her progress. It proves once again that Cameroonian women's football has some very beautiful things, and we just hope things continue moving forward positively for us."
Cameroon's backroom staff were also full of praise for the young keeper.
"Michaely was simply incredible," head coach Valentine Nguele said. "She was perfect in all of her actions and she gave everything she could.
"She's a very good goalkeeper who proved she deserved our confidence. She gave everything."
Coach Dimitri Lipoff was also full of praise for his keeper, but also said he wasn't surprised by her display against the Falcons.
"I enjoy it every single day in the training sessions," he said. "My two other goalkeepers are very, very good too."
Cameroon's attention now turns to their WAFCON semifinal against hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday, as they seek to return to the final for the first time since they were defeated by Nigeria on home soil in 2016.
"We continue to be very humble," Bihina concluded. "We continue to prepare for our next game because we know Morocco are a very big team.
"It's not easy. We will continue to work.