Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC are heading into unfamiliar territory, but coach Ayub Khalifa wants his players to remember one thing: football is still football, no matter who stands on the opposite side.
The Kampala-based side will make history next month as the first Ugandan club to feature in the CAF Women’s Champions League, where they will face some of Africa’s finest teams in Egypt from November 1 to 15.
Kawempe Muslim have been training at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, preparing for a tournament that will test their quality, character and ambition against the continent’s best.
For Khalifa, the challenge is not simply about making their first appearance. He wants his players to believe they can compete.
“We are going to this tournament for the first time. No Ugandan team has been there or played,” Khalifa said.
“But what I have put in the players’ minds is that it is not the first time we are playing football. Where we are going, we are going to play football.
“The only difference is that this time we are playing club to club against teams from other countries.”
Kawempe Muslim earned their place at the continental showpiece by winning the CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers, beating Kenya Police Bullets 1-0 after extra time to secure a historic ticket to Egypt.
That triumph has given the team a chance to measure themselves against the best on the continent, and Khalifa believes their regional experience should count for something.
“We have experienced it in CECAFA, and we have managed to win,” he said.
“We are eight teams from Africa, and everyone has worked hard to get there, which means we are a powerful team. When one hears Kawempe, they come well prepared.”
The task ahead, however, will not be easy. Kawempe Muslim have been drawn in Group B alongside Morocco’s AS FAR Rabat, the reigning champions, Mali’s USFAS Bamako and the eventual WAFU B representative, who will be decided between Nigeria’s Edo Queens and Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa.
Their campaign begins with a difficult assignment against AS FAR Rabat on November 2. The match will provide an early test of how well the Ugandan champions have prepared for their first taste of continental club football.
The tournament will be staged in Egypt, with Cairo and the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia listed as host locations.
Kawempe Muslim will also be carrying the hopes of Ugandan women’s football after previous representatives KCCA Women FC, formerly Kampala Queens, and Lady Doves failed to progress beyond the group stage in their attempts.
The newcomers now have an opportunity to change that narrative.
Attacking midfielder Shakira Nyinagahirwa, one of the team’s captains, says the players are focused on making their opportunity count.
“As a player, I’m really focused and prepared so that I can play my best in the tournament. We are going to compete with the best teams in Africa, so I’m really prepared so that I can compete,” Nyinagahirwa said.
She believes the preparations have also given the entire squad the confidence to go beyond simply participating.
“The team is also prepared. The coaches have done their best to prepare us so that we can go and compete, because we are not going to just participate; we are going to compete in the tournament.”
Nyinagahirwa also had a message for Ugandan fans, promising that the team would not be intimidated by the level of competition.
“What I can say is I want to tell the Ugandan fans that I’m prepared enough to compete at that level. And what I can say is I want to promise them good results in the tournament,” she added.
The team received a timely boost from the Government of Uganda, which has provided UGX 50 million to support preparations for the historic campaign.
The government has also provided 30 return air tickets to Egypt, offering additional assistance as the club prepares for its maiden appearance at the competition.
With Khalifa in charge and Agnes Nabukenya serving as captain, Kawempe Muslim will be hoping to turn their regional success into a strong continental performance.
They know the challenge awaiting them, particularly against defending champions AS FAR Rabat, but they are determined not to travel to Egypt merely to make up the numbers.
This is Kawempe Muslim’s chance to show that Ugandan women’s football can compete on Africa’s biggest club stage and inspire those who will follow.