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CAF Women's Champions League Draw Sets Up November Showdown in Cairo as Ghana and Nigeria Fight for the Final Spot

 

The stage is set for the sixth edition of the CAF Women's Champions League. The group-stage draw, held in Cairo on October 20, 2026, divided the eight qualified clubs into two groups — and it threw up a mouth-watering opening day: hosts FC Masar of Egypt will face two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns on November 1. But one place at the tournament remains undecided: the WAFU Zone B representative, after a penalty-shootout result was annulled and Ghana's Ampem Darkoa Ladies won the right to resume their disputed final against Nigeria's Edo Queens from the start of extra time.

Concept illustration of a golden women's football trophy on a Cairo stadium pitch with African geometric patterns

Illustration: a golden women's football trophy on a Cairo stadium pitch, with African-inspired patterns. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the real trophy.

What Happened

The draw ceremony took place on Tuesday, October 20, in Cairo, Egypt, with the continent's eight qualifiers divided into two groups of four. In Group A, Egyptian hosts FC Masar were drawn alongside South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, Morocco's FUS Rabat and Cameroon's Lekié Football Girls. Group B features defending champions AS FAR of Morocco, Mali's USFAS Bamako, Uganda's Kawempe Muslim Ladies — debutants at the final tournament — and the still-to-be-determined WAFU Zone B qualifier.

CAF also confirmed the full fixture list on October 20. The group stage begins on November 1 with two Group A matches — FC Masar against Mamelodi Sundowns, and FUS Rabat against Lekié FC — followed on November 2 by the first Group B games: AS FAR against Kawempe Muslim Ladies, and USFAS Bamako against the WAFU-B representative. The group stage concludes on November 7–8, with the semi-finals scheduled for November 11, the third-place playoff on November 14, and the final on November 15.

The unresolved WAFU-B slot gives this edition an unusual subplot. Nigeria's Edo Queens had appeared to qualify on September 5, winning a penalty shootout 4–1 against Ghana's Ampem Darkoa Ladies in Ouagadougou after the WAFU-B final finished 2–2. But Ampem Darkoa protested, citing a procedural error, and in a ruling dated October 16, the CAF Appeal Board annulled the shootout result — dismissing Edo Queens' challenge — and ordered the final to resume from the beginning of extra time with the score still level at 2–2. The resumed final will feature two 15-minute periods of extra time, with penalties to follow if the sides remain level. The winner takes the regional ticket and a place in Group B alongside AS FAR, USFAS Bamako and Kawempe Muslim Ladies.

Background

The CAF Women's Champions League is the premium club competition for women's football in Africa, and Egypt is staging it for the third time, having hosted the inaugural edition in 2021 and the previous tournament in 2025. The eight-club format draws its field from CAF's regional zones: the host nation, the defending champions and the winners of the zonal qualifiers.

Mamelodi Sundowns arrive in Cairo as one of the competition's established powers, having won the title twice. But the South African champions know the tournament can be cruel: they failed to qualify for last season's finals after being eliminated by Botswana's Gaborone United in the regional qualifiers, and the previous year they failed to progress from the group stage. Their opening-day test against the hosts on November 1 offers an early measure of whether the South Africans are ready to challenge for another crown.

Concept illustration of a women's football match in a packed stadium under floodlights

Illustration: a women's football match played in a packed stadium under floodlights. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of a real match.

AS FAR Rabat of Morocco enter as defending champions and will open their title defense against Uganda's Kawempe Muslim Ladies on November 2. Kawempe's presence is a landmark in itself: the "Valley Warriors" won the CECAFA zonal qualifiers to become the first Ugandan club to reach the final tournament. Their reward is a stern test against some of the continent's most established sides, headlined by the reigning champions.

Cameroon's Lekié Football Girls — competing through the UNIFFAC zonal route — and Mali's USFAS Bamako, the WAFU-A representatives, complete the confirmed field, alongside Morocco's second representative, FUS Rabat, who qualified through the UNAF (North African) qualifiers.

Why It Matters

The Women's Champions League has become the flagship of African women's club football, and this edition underscores how competitive the continent's women's game has become. Two-time winners Sundowns missing last season entirely showed that no club — however decorated — can take qualification for granted, while the debut of a Ugandan side and the Cameroonian and Malian qualifiers demonstrate that the tournament's map keeps expanding.


The draw itself also points to shifting gravity in African women's football. Hosts FC Masar's immediate collision with Sundowns on opening day guarantees a headline fixture for the home crowd, while defending champions AS FAR face a Group B that mixes familiar Moroccan muscle with West and East African ambition. With Morocco fielding two clubs and the WAFU-B playoff adding another West African side, the tournament's competitive center of gravity is unmistakably strong.

Then there is the Ampem Darkoa–Edo Queens saga — a reminder that the road to the finals can be as dramatic as the finals themselves. The CAF Appeal Board's decision to annul a shootout and resume from extra time is an unusual ruling that will keep one eye of the continent fixed on that resumed final, whoever wins it.

What Happens Next

The immediate question is the WAFU-B decider: when Ampem Darkoa and Edo Queens resume their final at 2–2 with 30 minutes of extra time ahead, the winner claims the last Group B place. If it is Ampem Darkoa, they will face AS FAR, USFAS Bamako and Kawempe Muslim Ladies; if Edo Queens hold their nerve, they rejoin the field they thought they had qualified for in September.

Once the tournament kicks off on November 1, the schedule is packed. Matchday 2 runs on November 4–5 — featuring, among others, Lekié against Sundowns and AS FAR against USFAS — and the group stage concludes on November 7–8. The top two sides from each group advance to the semi-finals on November 11, with the third-place playoff on November 14 and the final on November 15.

For Sundowns, the mission is clear: two titles won, one painful absence — the 2026 edition is about restoring their place at the top of the African women's game. For AS FAR, it is about defending a crown in the tournament's most competitive field yet. And for Kawempe Muslim Ladies, FC Masar and the other debutants and host contenders, Cairo offers something rarer: the chance to announce themselves on the continent's biggest stage.

Concept illustration of a football draw ceremony with golden balls and team bowls in a grand hall

Illustration: the tournament draw ceremony, with golden draw balls and team-name bowls on display. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the real ceremony.

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FAQ

When and where is the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League played?

The tournament runs from November 1 to 15, 2026, in Egypt. The group stage takes place from November 1 to 8, followed by the semi-finals on November 11, the third-place playoff on November 14 and the final on November 15.

Which teams are in each group?

Group A: FC Masar (Egypt, hosts), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), FUS Rabat (Morocco) and Lekié FC (Cameroon). Group B: AS FAR (Morocco, defending champions), Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), USFAS Bamako (Mali) and the WAFU-B winner — either Ghana's Ampem Darkoa Ladies or Nigeria's Edo Queens.

Why is the WAFU-B spot still undecided?

Nigeria's Edo Queens won a penalty shootout against Ghana's Ampem Darkoa in the WAFU-B final on September 5, but Ampem Darkoa protested over a procedural error. On October 16, the CAF Appeal Board annulled the shootout and ordered the final to resume from the start of extra time at 2–2; the winner takes the Group B place.

Who are the favorites?

Defending champions AS FAR of Morocco are the team to beat, while two-time winners Mamelodi Sundowns are back after missing last season's finals. Hosts FC Masar will carry home support, and Uganda's Kawempe Muslim Ladies add debutant intrigue as the first Ugandan club to reach the final tournament.

Where can I follow the draw results and fixtures?

CAF's official women's football channels published the draw and full fixture list on October 20, 2026, and African sports outlets including iDiski Times, Daily Sports, GhanaSoccernet, Kawowo and The Athletic NG carried detailed coverage of the groups and fixtures.

Sources

  • CAF Women Football — official draw announcement (October 20, 2026)
  • iDiski Times — "Sundowns Ladies Find Out 2026 CWCL Finals Opponents" (October 20, 2026)
  • Daily Sports — "CAF Women's Champions League: groups revealed after draw" and "full fixture list announced" (October 20, 2026)
  • GhanaSoccernet — WAFU-B appeal reports (October 20, 2026)
  • Kawowo — "Kawempe Muslim learn CAF Women's Champions League opponents" (October 20, 2026)
  • The Athletic NG — draw coverage (October 20, 2026)

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