The Road to CAF Women’s Champions League 2024 Begins as Zonal Qualifiers Kick-off
The journey towards securing a place in CAF’s flagship Women’s Club competition; the CAF Women’s Champions League is in full swing, with clubs across the six Zonal Unions all vying for a place in the fourth edition of the competition.
The Finals of the CAF Women’s Champions League 2024 will be played in November 2024.
Since its inaugural edition held in Egypt three years ago, the CAF Women’s Champions League continues to grow across all spheres – attracting high global audiences, record stadium attendances, record social media engagement and highly competitive duels between the best women’s clubs on the continent.
With Africa’s elite women’s football clubs like Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), AS FAR (Morocco), AS Mande (Mali), to mention but a few having laid a foundation, the fourth edition promises to be yet another exciting chapter added to the women’s game in Africa.
Ahead of the finals set to take place later this year, qualifiers of the tournament across all CAF’s Zonal Unions will be taking place in the next few weeks to determine the zonal champions who will attempt to wrestle the title out of Sundowns’ hands that have lifted the title twice (2021, 2023).
Sierra Leonne (WAFU A), Cote d’Ivoire (WAFU B), Malawi (COSAFA), DR Congo (UNIFFAC), CECAFA (Ethiopia) and Algeria (UNAF) are the six confirmed hosts of the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers where the zonal winners will qualify for the finals.
CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers Overview.
WAFU A:
The action has officially gotten underway in the WAFU A Zone, with Bo’s Southern Arena in Sierra Leone playing host to the qualifiers between 01 – 11 August.
Mogbewmo Queens, hosts of the tournament have the tough assignment of overcoming strong title contenders, AS Mande who have featured in the 2021 and 2023 edition.
Host : Sierra Leone
Date : 01 -11 August
Participants : Mogbewmo Queens (Sierra Leone), AS Mandé (Mali), Determine Girls (Liberia), Aigles de la Médina (Senegal), and Red Scorpion (The Gambia).
WAFU B :
WAFU B Qualifiers officially get underway on Saturday, 10 August in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Inter d’Abidjan, hosts of the last CAF Women’s Champions League Finals will be hoping to qualify for their second appearance this season. However, with sides such as Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana also in contention, competition in the WAFU B qualifiers will be at an all-time high in Abidjan.
Host : Cote d’Ivoire
Date : 10 – 23 August
Participants : Inter d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Ainonvi FC (Benin), AS Kozah (Togo), Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana), O. Étincelles (Burkina Faso), AS Garde Nationale (Niger), EDO Queens (Nigeria)
COSAFA
The COSAFA zone will have two representatives following Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ clinching of the title last season.
Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, who finished second in the qualifiers last season will fancy their chances against the six contenders, which include Gaborone United of Botswana who put up an impressive showing in last season’s qualifiers.
Host: Malawi
Date: 15 – 24 August
Participants: University of Western Cape (South Africa), Green Buffaloes (Zambia), Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), FC Ongos (Namibia), Gaborone United (Botswana), União Desportiva de Lichinga (Mozambique), Ascent Soccer Academy (Malawi), Young Buffaloes (Eswatini)
UNIFFAC
TP Mazembe play host to the UNIFFAC qualifiers that involve three strong participants in Lékié FF (Cameroon), Atletico Feminino Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), and CSM Diables Noirs (Congo).
Mazembe missed out on last season’s finals after finishing third in Group B of the competition in the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League. Not only will they be hoping to secure their place in the finals, but will aim at doing well this season in the finals should they qualify.
Host: DR Congo
Date: 16 – 24 August
Participants: TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Lékié FF (Cameroon), Atletico Feminino Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), and CSM Diables Noirs (Congo).
CECAFA
The CECAFA region has always produced strong competitors in the CAF Women’s Champions League finals, with this season expected to be no different.
Ethiopia plays host to the tournament between 17 – 31 August where they will be represented by Commercial Bank of Ethiopia against eight other CECAFA clubs, including tournament favourites, Simba Queens of Tanzania.
Host: Ethiopia
Date: 17 – 31 August
Participants: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC “CBE FC” (Ethiopia), Kenya Police Bullets (Kenya), Yei Joint FC (South Sudan), Warriors Queens (Zanzibar), Rayon Sport (Rwanda), Simba Queens (Tanzania), PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), FAD Djibouti (Djibouti)
UNAF
Winners of the 2022 edition through Morocco’s AS Far, the UNAF qualifiers will be contested by four clubs from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco between 21 – 31 August.
AS FAR, who lost their 2022 title to Mamelodi Sundowns remain one of the tournament favourites but must first overcome the strong challenge posed by Akbou FC (Algeria), Tutankhamun (Egypt) and ASF Sousse (Tunisia) in the next few weeks.
Host: Algeria
Date: 21 – 31 August
Participants: Akbou FC (Algeria), Tutankhamun (Egypt), ASF Sousse (Tunisia), and AS FAR (Morocco)
