- CAF Women Champions League | Semifinal | Wednesday, November 11th
- Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC Vs Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC – Suez Canal Stadium | 6 p.m
As it was in their first match against two-time champions in their first group stage encounter with AS FAR, Kawempe Muslim Ladies Football Club refused to be intimidated by African Ladies Football giants Mamelodi Sundowns.
Kawempe Muslim Ladies have a date with history when they take on two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the semifinals of the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League on Wednesday evening in Ismailia, Egypt.
To a club making its maiden appearance in the competition, reaching the last four is already a remarkable achievement. But the Ugandan side are not ready to let their historic journey end here.
They now stand 90 minutes away from becoming the first East African team to reach the final of Africa’s premier women’s club competition, although standing in their way is one of the continent’s most experienced sides.
The two teams meet at the Suez Canal Stadium at 6:00 p.m. East African Time, with Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi confident his players have done enough in training to prepare for the challenge.
Anita Namata, an experienced player in the Kawempe camp, says the team is determined to go all the way rather than settle for a place in the semifinals.
“As players, we are ready for the semifinal so that we can win it and go for the final,” she said.
Khalifa also believes his players understand what is required against a Sundowns side that has won the competition twice.
“We have had a good training session as we prepare to play our semifinal against Mamelodi Sundowns, a team that is good, but we are also good, and we are prepared to organise all the departments and have a good game,” he said.
“What we want is to kill that game as early as possible.”
It is an ambitious target, especially against a team coached by Godfrey Sapula and accustomed to the demands of continental football. Sundowns won the competition in 2021 and 2023 and are now chasing a third title and a record-extending fourth appearance in the final.
The South Africans have also looked organised in Egypt, finishing top of Group A with seven points after going unbeaten in all three matches.
They opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Egyptian hosts FC Masar before edging Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles 2-1. They then underlined their title credentials with a convincing 3-0 victory over Morocco’s FUS Rabat on November 7, with Nthabiseng Majiya and Karabo Dhlamini among the scorers.
Kawempe’s route to the semifinals has been different but equally impressive. The CECAFA zonal champions announced themselves on their continental debut by stunning defending champions AS FAR Rabat 3-2 in their opening Group B match.
They subsequently suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies but responded in style, beating Mali’s USFAS Bamako 3-0 in their final group match to finish second with six points.
Group B ended in a three-way tie, with AS FAR, Kawempe and Ampem Darkoa all collecting six points. AS FAR’s 2-0 victory over Ampem Darkoa on November 8, coupled with Kawempe’s win against USFAS Bamako, left the head-to-head tiebreakers determining the final standings. AS FAR finished top, while Kawempe settled for second.
That position paired the Ugandan side with Group A winners Sundowns, while AS FAR were drawn against Lekié Football Filles, who finished second in Group A.
Although Sundowns boast the better defensive record, Kawempe have shown that they can cause problems going forward.
The South Africans scored five goals and conceded just one during the group stage, keeping two clean sheets in three matches. Kawempe, on the other hand, found the net seven times, although they conceded four goals and kept one clean sheet.
Much of Kawempe’s attacking threat will once again depend on teenage forward Agnes Nabukenya, who has scored four goals in the tournament. Her tally is already an all-time single-edition record for a player representing an East African club.
Captain Shakirah Nyinagahirwa will also be important. Having returned from a lengthy injury layoff, she has brought leadership and creativity to the midfield, where her understanding with forward Jovia Nakagolo could prove valuable.
Sundowns, meanwhile, will look to goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, who has kept two clean sheets in three group matches, while veteran defender Bambanani Mbane provides experience and composure in their backline.
There is more than just a place in Sunday’s final at stake.
For Kawempe, victory would deliver another milestone, making them the first East African club to reach the CAF Women’s Champions League final after already becoming the first Ugandan side to progress beyond the group stage.
For Sundowns, it is an opportunity to continue their continental dominance by reaching a fourth final and moving closer to a third championship.
The eventual winners of the tournament will also secure a place in the second qualifying round of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, giving the African champions an opportunity to compete on the global stage.
The losing semifinalists will turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off, scheduled for November 14, while the final will be played on Sunday, November 15, at the Suez Canal Stadium.
The other semi-final will see AS FAR Rabat take on Lekié Football Girls.