KIGALI, Rwanda — The race for East and Central Africa’s place in the CAF Women’s Champions League is underway in Kigali, where ten of the region’s leading women’s clubs are competing for one of the most valuable prizes in African club football: qualification for the continental finals.
The 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers, running from August 21 to 31, bring together champions and leading representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Zanzibar.
Only one team will leave Kigali with the regional title and a ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League.
That reality has turned the tournament into far more than a regional championship. Every group-stage match carries significant weight, particularly for teams placed in the three-team groups, where finishing second offers no route to the semifinals.
CBE Make a Powerful Opening Statement
Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Women FC (CBE) delivered the most emphatic result of the opening weekend, defeating Djibouti’s FC Ujeco 11–0 at Kigali Pelé Stadium.
The 2024 CECAFA champions wasted little time announcing their ambitions.
Emush Daniel Dandamo produced the standout individual performance of the match, scoring five goals. Rediet Matias and Lidiya Eyasu Sorsa added two goals each, while Etsegenet Girma Negash and Debiso Yukura also found the net.
The margin of victory does more than provide CBE with three points. In a short tournament where goal difference can become decisive, an 11-goal advantage immediately places the Ethiopian side in a strong position.
More importantly, the performance carried a clear message to the rest of the field: CBE have returned to the CECAFA stage with the intention of reclaiming the regional crown.
Head coach Birhanu Gizaw Heye has made it clear that his team is approaching every match with the seriousness of a final.
That mentality will be tested further when CBE face Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies, one of the most respected women’s football clubs in the region.
Simba Queens Begin with Victory
Tanzanian giants Simba Queens also opened their campaign positively with a 2–0 victory over Burundi’s Top Girls Academy.
Aisha Juma Mnunka and substitute Musakanda Kusamula scored the goals as Simba began their Group C campaign with three important points.
Simba arrive in Rwanda with significant continental pedigree.
The club won the CECAFA qualifying tournament in 2022 before going on to reach the semifinals of the CAF Women’s Champions League later that year, one of the strongest performances by a CECAFA representative in the history of the competition. Their presence in Kigali adds another serious title contender to what is already a highly competitive field.
Yei Joint Stars Impress as Rayon Are Held
South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars were another team to make a strong start, defeating Eritrea’s Denden FC 3–0.
Poni Esther Wani opened the scoring before Grace Aluka added two goals in the second half to secure a convincing victory.
Denden had an opportunity to change the direction of the match from the penalty spot, but Yei’s goalkeeper produced an important save.
Hosts Rayon Sports Women FC, meanwhile, were forced to settle for a goalless draw against Zanzibar’s Mafunzo Women SC.
Playing in front of their home supporters, Rayon were expected to begin with victory, but Mafunzo defended with discipline and frustrated the Rwandan side.
Both teams came close to breaking the deadlock late in the match, but the woodwork helped ensure the points were shared.
Ten Clubs, Three Groups, One Continental Ticket
The ten participating teams are divided into three groups.
Group A
- Rayon Sports WFC — Rwanda
- Yei Joint Stars — South Sudan
- Mafunzo Women SC — Zanzibar
- Denden FC — Eritrea
Group B
- Commercial Bank of Ethiopia — Ethiopia
- Kawempe Muslim Ladies — Uganda
- FC Ujeco — Djibouti
Group C
- Simba Queens — Tanzania
- Kenya Police Bullets — Kenya
- Top Girls Academy — Burundi
The qualification format increases the pressure considerably.
The top two teams in Group A advance to the semifinals, while only the winners of Groups B and C qualify.
That structure leaves clubs such as CBE, Kawempe Muslim Ladies, Simba Queens and Kenya Police Bullets with almost no room for error. For teams in the three-club groups, second place means elimination.
Ethiopia’s Growing History in the Competition
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia have become one of the most consistent clubs in the short history of the CECAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
CBE reached the final of the inaugural tournament in 2021 but lost 2–1 to Kenya’s Vihiga Queens.
They returned to the final again in 2023, this time facing Tanzania’s JKT Queens. After 120 minutes without a goal, CBE were beaten 5–4 on penalties.
Their breakthrough finally came in 2024.
Playing in Addis Ababa, CBE defeated Kenya Police Bullets 1–0 in the final to win their first CECAFA Women’s Champions League qualifying title.
Senaf Wakuma scored the decisive goal in the 79th minute and finished the tournament as the leading scorer with six goals.
That victory gave Ethiopia its first title in the competition and confirmed CBE as one of the leading women’s clubs in East Africa.
The 2026 tournament therefore represents more than another qualification campaign for the Ethiopian champions. It is an opportunity to return to the summit of regional women’s club football.
Tanzania’s Strong Regional Record
Tanzanian clubs have enjoyed remarkable success since the CECAFA qualification tournament was introduced.
Kenya’s Vihiga Queens won the inaugural tournament in 2021, but Tanzanian clubs quickly established themselves as a dominant force.
Simba Queens were champions in 2022, while JKT Queens claimed the title in 2023 and again in 2025.
CBE interrupted Tanzania’s run by winning the 2024 edition.
That means Tanzanian clubs captured three of the first five CECAFA qualifying titles — a record that underlines the strength of the country’s investment in women’s club football.
Simba Queens now have the opportunity to extend that dominance in Kigali.
Major Matches Could Shape the Tournament Early
Several upcoming fixtures could have a major influence on the semifinal picture.
One of the most significant will see CBE face Kawempe Muslim Ladies, a match that could effectively decide the winner of Group B.
CBE will enter the contest with confidence following their extraordinary 11–0 opening victory, but Kawempe are an experienced and well-organised side with a strong reputation in Ugandan women’s football.
In Group C, the meeting between Simba Queens and Kenya Police Bullets is another potential group-decider.
Both clubs have the quality and ambition to reach the CAF Women’s Champions League, but only one team from the group can progress.
The semifinals are scheduled for August 29, with the final set for August 31 in Kigali.
More Than a Regional Championship
The CECAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers have grown into one of the most important competitions in the development of women’s football across East and Central Africa.
For clubs, the tournament provides international competition and access to Africa’s biggest women’s club stage.
For players, it offers visibility beyond domestic leagues and an opportunity to perform in front of scouts, federations and a wider continental audience.
It also provides an important measure of progress across the region.
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda have traditionally produced some of the strongest women’s clubs in CECAFA, while Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Zanzibar are continuing to develop their domestic structures and competitive programmes.
But an important question remains.
Can a CECAFA club move beyond regional success and become a genuine CAF Women’s Champions League title contender?
Simba Queens showed what was possible when they reached the continental semifinals in 2022. Since then, the challenge for the region has been to go further.
The 2026 tournament in Kigali will help determine which club gets the next opportunity.
CBE have already made an explosive statement. Simba Queens have started with a victory. Yei Joint Stars have shown ambition, while host club Rayon Sports remain under pressure to respond after dropping points in their opening match. The competition has only just begun, but the stakes could hardly be higher.
Ten clubs. One regional title. One place in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
And over the next several days in Kigali, East and Central Africa’s best women’s clubs will fight for the right to represent the region on the continental stage.
