Group-by-Group look at the CWCL | COSAFA Qualifiers
The CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers kicks off in Johannesburg on Friday when a record 10 teams from across the region will contest for a single place at the eight-team continental finals later this year.
We take a group-by-group look at the tournament and refresh the memory on the fixtures, which will all be played at the University of Johannesburg’s AW Muller Stadium.
All matches will be live on FIFA+ and COSAFA’s YouTube Channel.
GROUP A
22/08, 12h00: Beauties FC vs Zesco Ndola Girls FC
22/08, 15h00: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Ntopwa FC
24/08, 12h00: Ntopwa FC vs Beauties FC
24/08, 15h00: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Zesco Ndola Girls FC
26/08, 12h00: Zesco Ndola Girls FC vs Ntopwa FC
26/08, 15h00: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Beauties FC
This has the look of a Group of Death with two-time winners Mamelodi Sundowns pooled with Zesco Ndola Girls from Zambia and Ntopwa FC from Malawi, two strong women’s football leagues in the region. Zesco are on debut, along with Beauties FC from Namibia. There will be little margin for error for any sides, and dropped points early on will mean playing catch-up. Sundowns will be favourites given their pedigree and the fact they are also two-time African champions, but don’t rule out any of the challengers.
GROUP B
23/08, 12h00: Gaborone United Ladies FC vs Young Buffaloes
25/08, 12h00: Young Buffaloes vs Kick4Life Women FC
27/08, 12h00: Gaborone United Ladies FC vs Kick4Life Women
Last year’s beaten finalists Gaborone United look the team to beat in this pool, but Young Buffaloes of Eswatini have appeared in the last three regional qualifiers and reached the semifinals in 2024. Kick4Life from Lesotho are on debut and will find this a major step up from their domestic league, where they were a dominant force last season, going through the campaign unbeaten with 31 wins and three draws.
GROUP C
23/08, 15h00: Herentals Queens FC vs Costa do Sol
25/08, 15h00: Costa do Sol vs Olympic De Moroni
27/08, 15h00: Herentals Queens FC vs Olympic De Moroni
All of these sides have appeared before, with Herentals Queens and Costa do Sol past semifinalists. In a three-team group a defeat can make it very hard to advance so you are on the back foot from game one if you lose. Whether that will make teams more cautious or put them on the front foot remains to be seen.
