Michaely Kyria Bihina is a Cameroonian professional footballer whose remarkable rise has made her one of the standout young goalkeepers in African women’s football. Born on 28 December 2003 in Yaoundé, Bihina began her career with Éclair de Sa’a, where she played from 2017 to 2022 before moving to Portugal and joining Racing Power. In January 2026, she took another major step by signing for SL Benfica on a contract running until 2029. Her journey from Éclair de Sa’a to professional football abroad has been built on steady development, resilience and a growing reputation between the posts.
Her defining chapter arrived in Morocco. Against defending champions Nigeria in the quarter-final, Bihina produced nine saves in Cameroon’s 1–0 victory and was named TotalEnergies Woman of the Match. She then delivered another extraordinary performance against hosts Morocco in the semi-final. After keeping the match level through regulation time, she saved a penalty during extra time before stopping three penalties in the shootout, sending Cameroon into the final and earning her second consecutive Woman of the Match award. Those performances established her as one of the tournament’s standout players before she ultimately collected the Golden Glove.
Michaely has transformed a breakthrough international campaign into one of the defining goalkeeper stories of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The 22 year old Cameroonian goalkeeper played a crucial role as the Indomitable Lionesses claimed their first ever WAFCON title, defeating Malawi 3–0 in the final in Rabat on 16 August 2026. Her performances throughout the tournament earned her the CAF Golden Glove as the Best Goalkeeper of WAFCON 2026, adding a major individual honour to Cameroon’s historic continental triumph.
What makes Michaely’s rise particularly compelling is that goalkeeping was not where her football journey began. She initially played as an outfield player before transitioning into goal, a change that allowed her physical attributes and technical development to flourish. Her comfort with the ball and distribution have also become notable elements of her game, reflecting the demands of the modern goalkeeper. At club level, her development in Portugal has given her another platform to refine those qualities, while international football has now provided her with a defining moment on the continent.
At 22, Michaely Bihina is now a WAFCON champion, Golden Glove winner and two time Woman of the Match recipient from the same tournament. Her journey from Cameroon to Portugal and back onto the biggest stage in African women’s football is a testament to the value of development, opportunity and composure under pressure. More than a promising young goalkeeper, Bihina has emerged from WAFCON 2026 with a continental title and one of African football’s most coveted individual goalkeeper honours, giving her career a remarkable new chapter to build upon.
