Kawempe Muslim Ladies have one more opportunity to make their historic CAF Women’s Champions League debut even more memorable when they face Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles in Saturday’s third-place playoff, with a bronze medal and USD 350,000 at stake.
Having already broken new ground as the first Ugandan club to reach the continental finals, Kawempe will be eager to finish their campaign on a high when the two debutants meet at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt, at 3 p.m. East African Time.
It is a meeting that carries significance beyond the two clubs. Both are chasing their countries’ first-ever podium finish in the competition, meaning Saturday’s winner will take home more than a medal. They will also earn USD 350,000, while the fourth-placed team will receive USD 300,000.
For Kawempe, the opportunity comes after a campaign that has already given Ugandan women’s football plenty to celebrate. Their journey to Egypt began with victory at the CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda, where they defeated Kenya Police Bullets 1-0 after extra time to book their place at the finals.
They carried that determination into Egypt, where they announced themselves in style by stunning defending champions AS FAR of Morocco 3-2 in their opening Group B match.
Captain Agnes Nabukenya was the difference, scoring twice, including a dramatic 94th-minute winner, while Shakirah Nyinagahirwa also got on the scoresheet.
The victory gave Kawempe an early statement of intent, although their next outing brought them back to earth with a narrow 2-1 defeat against Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies, despite a spirited second-half response.
They recovered impressively against Mali’s USFAS Bamako, winning 3-0 to secure their place in the semi-finals. Agnes struck another brace, taking her tournament tally to four goals, while Jovia Nakagolo added a header.
That victory was particularly significant, becoming the biggest winning margin recorded by an East African club at the competition.
Kawempe finished second in Group B with six points from three matches, level with group winners AS FAR and Ampem Darkoa. They progressed alongside AS FAR after the three teams were separated by head-to-head tiebreakers.
Their reward was a semifinal meeting with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, but the Ugandans found the two-time champions difficult to contain.
Sundowns scored four times in the first half before Latifah Nakasi pulled one back after the break. The 4-1 defeat ended Kawempe’s hopes of reaching the final, while substitute Anitah Namata’s late red card means she will miss Saturday’s encounter through suspension.
Nakasi, however, will head into the playoff with confidence after scoring against Sundowns, giving Kawempe hope that their attack can deliver again when it matters most.
Despite the semi-final setback, Kawempe have left a strong mark on the tournament.
According to CAF Online statistics, their eight goals across four matches are the highest ever scored by a CECAFA representative in a single edition of the finals. They have also become the first East African club to score in four consecutive matches at the tournament.
Another goal against Lekié would make them the first East African side to score in five matches during a single edition.
Agnes has also written her own piece of history. Her four goals are the highest single-tournament tally by an East African player, underlining the importance of her contribution to Kawempe’s impressive run.
The Ugandans have scored eight goals and conceded eight in their four matches, recording two victories and two defeats.
Standing between them and a historic bronze medal are Lekié Football Filles, who have also enjoyed a memorable first appearance at the continental finals.
The Cameroonian side, coached by Stéphane Ndzana, qualified after winning the UNIFFAC zonal qualifiers, becoming the first club from Cameroon to reach the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
Like Kawempe, they have had to work hard for their place in the competition’s final weekend.
Lekié began their Group A campaign with a goalless draw against Morocco’s Fath Union Sport Féminines on November 1 before losing 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies three days later.
They kept their hopes alive with a crucial 2-1 victory over Egyptian hosts FC Masar on November 7, a result that secured their semi-final qualification.
The Cameroonians finished second in Group A with four points, level with FC Masar but advancing on the head-to-head advantage earned from their victory over the Egyptian side.
Their semi-final against AS FAR was another close contest. Lekié created 14 shots, three of which were on target, more than their Moroccan opponents, but could not find the breakthrough.
Instead, Ghizlane Chebbak’s 48th-minute goal settled the contest in favour of AS FAR, leaving Lekié with a narrow 1-0 defeat and a place in Saturday’s third-place playoff.
They have scored three goals and conceded four in their four matches, with Brenda Ebika Tabe, Shalom Nakom and Marie Ngon each scoring once.
Goalkeeper Chantal Calixte, Ladifatou Ngambe and Ivana Yakana have been particularly consistent, playing every minute of the tournament so far, with 360 minutes apiece.
Saturday’s fixture will be the first meeting between the two clubs. It will also be the first third-place playoff in the competition’s history to feature representatives from East and Central Africa.
The stakes are therefore clear. Both clubs have already achieved something their countries had never experienced before, but neither will want to leave Egypt without a medal.
For Kawempe, victory would provide a fitting ending to a campaign that has seen them challenge established continental sides, break East African scoring records and announce Ugandan women’s football on a bigger stage.
They are already guaranteed USD 300,000 for reaching the third-place match, but beating Lekié would take their prize money to USD 350,000.
The bronze-medal contest will come before Sunday’s final, where two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and Morocco’s AS FAR will battle for the title at 6 p.m. East African Time.
Both clubs have won the competition twice, with Sundowns lifting the trophy in 2021 and 2023, while AS FAR were champions in 2022 and 2025.
The winner will become the first team to claim three CAF Women’s Champions League titles and earn USD 600,000, alongside a place in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
While Kawempe chase a historic bronze medal, captain Agnes Nabukenya has another reason to make Saturday count. The forward is leading the tournament’s scoring chart with four goals and is now within reach of the Golden Boot, having already enjoyed a memorable campaign in Egypt.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ Ronnel Donnelly is her closest challenger with three goals, while AS FAR’s Doha El Madani, Fatima Tagnaout, Imane Touriss and Ghizlane Chebbak, together with Nancy Amoh of Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies, have scored twice each.
Agnes will get one more chance to extend her lead when Kawempe take on Lekié, while Donnelly and the AS FAR quartet will have their final opportunity in Sunday’s championship decider against Sundowns. Nancy, whose Ampem Darkoa side exited in the group stage, cannot add to her tally.
Saturday could therefore bring a double celebration for Nabukenya, helping Kawempe secure Uganda’s first bronze medal and finishing the tournament as its leading scorer.