The road to continental glory is taking shape for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, with hosts FC Masar drawn against two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns on the opening day and defending champions AS FAR Rabat beginning their title defence in Group B.
The draw in Cairo has placed FC Masar, Sundowns, Morocco’s Fath Union Sport (FUS) Rabat and Cameroon’s Lekié Football Girls in Group A.
Group B features AS FAR, Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies, Mali’s USFAS Bamako and the yet-to-be-confirmed representative from the WAFU Zone B qualifying final. CAF has scheduled the tournament for 1–15 November in Egypt.
The group-stage draw sets up an immediate test for Sundowns, who will face the host club on 1 November, while AS FAR open their campaign against Kawempe Muslim on 2 November.
But beneath the fixture list lies an unresolved question: which West African side will complete Group B? Nigeria’s Edo Queens and Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies are still due to settle their disputed WAFU B final, with the winner claiming the region’s place at the continental tournament.
Sundowns face hosts in opening day test
Sundowns’ campaign begins against FC Masar on 1 November, giving the South African side an early meeting with the host nation’s representative.
The Group A opener will be followed on the same day by FUS Rabat against Lekié Football Girls, completing the first round of matches in the group.
Sundowns arrive as one of the continent’s most established sides in the competition, having won the title twice. Their opening fixture against FC Masar offers an early measure of the hosts’ ambitions and the South Africans’ readiness to challenge for another crown.
The second round of Group A matches is scheduled for 4 November, when FC Masar face FUS Rabat and Lekié meet Sundowns.
The group stage programme concludes on 7 November, with Lekié taking on FC Masar and Sundowns facing FUS Rabat.
With four teams competing for two semi-final places, the opening match could prove important in shaping the group’s early standings.
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Group B presents a different challenge for defending champions AS FAR, who will start against Kawempe Muslim Ladies on 2 November.
The Moroccan club will then meet USFAS Bamako on 5 November before closing their group stage campaign against the WAFU B representative on 8 November.
AS FAR enter the tournament seeking to retain the title they won in the previous edition. Their group includes clubs from Uganda and Mali, alongside a West African opponent whose identity remains uncertain.
Kawempe Muslim, meanwhile, will face the defending champions in their opening fixture before taking on the WAFU B representative on 5 November. Their final group match, against USFAS, is scheduled for 8 November.
USFAS begin against the WAFU B representative on 2 November, then face AS FAR three days later before concluding against Kawempe Muslim.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for 11 November. The third-place match will take place on 14 November, with the final set for 15 November.
Edo Queens and Ampem Darkoa dispute leaves a place open
The draw has not yet settled the full Group B line-up because the WAFU Zone B qualification final remains unresolved.
Edo Queens initially appeared to have secured qualification after beating Ampem Darkoa 4–1 on penalties following a 2–2 draw in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 5 September. However, CAF annulled the shootout after determining that the match should have proceeded to extra time.
The CAF Appeal Board upheld that decision on 16 October, ordering the contest to resume from the beginning of extra time with the score still 2–2. The teams are scheduled to play the remaining 30 minutes on 24 October, with a new penalty shootout required if the score remains level.
The ruling means neither club can yet claim the continental ticket. Edo Queens’ original penalty victory no longer stands, while Ampem Darkoa must still complete the match and win the contest to qualify.
The outcome will determine the opponent AS FAR face in their final group fixture and which team joins Group B’s other three clubs in Egypt.
For Edo Queens, the resumption represents another chance to secure a place in the continental competition after a result they had celebrated was overturned. Ampem Darkoa, meanwhile, will seek to turn their successful protest into a qualification victory on the pitch.
A fortnight to settle the contenders
The group stage fixtures will run from 1 to 8 November, with the semi-finals following on 11 November. The competition will then move into its final weekend, with the third place match on 14 November and the final a day later.
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Egypt is hosting the tournament for the second consecutive year and the third time overall, having also staged the inaugural edition in 2021. Eight clubs are due to compete for the continental title.
Yet before Group B can be considered complete, the unresolved WAFU B final must produce a winner. Until then, the draw has provided the framework for the tournament but not the full picture of who will be chasing the trophy in Egypt.
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