The TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League – the first ever edition on African soil – will kick-off on Friday this week in Cairo.
This edition is played in two phases, the zonal qualifiers helds from 24 July to 9 September and the final tournament that will be held in Egypt from 5 to 19 November
The format in the first edition will see champions of each of the six CAF Zones play for a spot in the competition. They are joined by the hosts and an extra team from the zone of the defending champions (or for the 1st edition an extra team from the zone of the reigning AFCON champions). The tournament will be played in two groups of four teams.
As the zone holder of the previous Women’s AFCON 2018, and in accordance to the competition Regulations as home of current champions of Women’s AFCON, WAFU B will have have two representatives: Hassac Ladies of Ghana and Rivers Angels of Nigeria.
2 teams expected to qualify from the group stage to the semi-final.
CAF has appointed 25 match officials (12 referees and 13 assistant referees) from 19 countries to officiate the inaugural league.
Participating teams:
AS Mande (Mali): They won the first two editions of Mali women’s First Division league (2017, 2021) and the National Cup four times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016).
Hasaacas Ladies FC (Ghana): Winner of the Regional Qualifiers, the club was founded in 1996 . They are four-time winners of Ghanaian League (2013, 2014, 2015, 2021) and won the 2021 National Cup.
Rivers Angels (Nigeria): They finished as runners-up of the Regional Qualifiers. Formed in 1986, they have won seven Nigeria Women’s League titles (1994, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021) and eight National Cups (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa): The club are the three-time winners of the South African Women’s Championship. They won their regional qualification recently in Durban, South Africa.
Vihiga Queens FC (Kenya): The Kenyan side have enjoyed dominance in their domestic competition winning Kenya Women’s Premier League (FKF WPL) in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
ASFAR FC (Morocco): They are eight-time Morocco League champions (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and seven-time winners of the National Cup known as ‘Throne Cup’ (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Wadi Degla FC (Egypt): They gained automatic qualification as hosts of the tournament. The Egyptian club won its 12th domestic title (Women’s Premier League) this year.
Malabo King FC (Equatorial Guinea): Title holder of Equatorial Guinea’s Primera Division Femenina (Women’s National League) and TNO Cup, they won UNIFFAC’s regional qualifiers.
Friday/ Saturday fixtures
Wadi Degla vs AS Mande- 16:00
Malabo Kings vs Hasaacas Ladies FC-19:00
Saturday fixtures:
Vihiga Queens FC vs Mamelodi Sundowns -16:00
Asfar Club vs Rivers Angels- 19:00
