Kawempe Muslim Ladies Football Club may have returned from Egypt without a medal, but they have plenty to celebrate after finishing fourth on their maiden appearance at the CAF Women’s Champions League, earning $300,000 in prize money.
The Ugandan champions brought their historic campaign to an end on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with a 5-0 defeat to Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles in the third-place playoff at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia.
It was a difficult afternoon for Ayub Khalifa’s side, who had hoped to cap their impressive debut with a bronze medal. However, their failure to finish on the podium should not take away from what has been a memorable campaign for the club and Ugandan women’s football.
By reaching the semifinals, Kawempe had already secured $300,000, a significant financial reward that gives the club something tangible to show for its journey in Egypt.
More importantly, they became the first Ugandan club to qualify for the competition and reach the knockout stage, taking women’s club football in the country into new territory.
Their final outing, however, did not go according to plan as Lekié proved too strong, taking control almost immediately.
Ajara Nchout needed just two minutes to put the Cameroonians ahead before Raïssa Nnanga doubled their advantage in the 15th minute. The two early goals left Kawempe chasing the game, and they struggled to find a way back.
Lekié returned from the break determined to finish the job. Tim Shalom Makoma made it 3-0 in the 67th minute before Takounda Engolo added the fourth in the 78th. Nnanga then completed her brace two minutes later to seal a convincing victory.
The result was the biggest winning margin ever recorded in a third-place playoff since the competition began in 2021. It also gave Cameroon its first-ever podium finish, with Lekié achieving the milestone in their first appearance at the final tournament.
For Kawempe, it was a rare occasion when their attacking efforts came up empty. They had scored in each of their first four matches, but Lekié became the first side to keep them from finding the net in the competition.
The Ugandans finished with eight goals, the highest tally ever recorded by an East African club at a single edition of the tournament. Captain Agnes Nabukenya was central to their attacking success, leading a side that showed it could compete against some of Africa’s established women’s clubs.
Kawempe announced their arrival in style, stunning two-time champions AS FAR of Morocco with a 3-2 victory in their opening Group B match.
They followed that with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa before recovering to beat Mali’s USFAS Bamako 3-0. That victory secured their passage into the semi-finals and made them the first Ugandan side to reach the knockout stage.
Their fairytale run eventually met a strong Mamelodi Sundowns side, which handed them a 4-1 defeat in the semi-finals. That left them with one final opportunity to claim a medal against Lekié, but the Cameroonians proved too difficult to overcome.
Despite finishing fourth, Kawempe have returned home with their reputation strengthened and a record that gives Ugandan women’s football something to build on.
While Kawempe’s campaign ended in disappointment, Lekié had every reason to celebrate after securing a historic bronze medal.
The Obala-based outfit became the first Cameroonian club to reach the final tournament and progress beyond the group stage. Their third-place finish went a step further, giving Cameroon its first podium appearance in the competition.
Their journey was not straightforward. Lekié opened Group A with a goalless draw against Morocco’s FUS on November 1 before losing 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns on November 4. They recovered with a 2-1 victory over Egypt’s FC Masar on November 7.
They finished second in the group with four points, level with FC Masar, but advanced to the semifinals on the strength of their head-to-head result.
On November 11, they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to AS FAR, with Ghizlane Chebbak scoring the only goal in the 48th minute. Lekié had 14 attempts, three on target, more than the Moroccan side managed.
Their bronze-medal performance brought their tournament record to two wins, one draw and two defeats, with eight goals scored and four conceded.
Lekié had booked their place at the tournament by winning the UNIFFAC qualifying competition in Yaoundé. The achievement meant a lot beyond the club, as Nnanga had earlier captured the feeling of the entire country when she said: “It is the whole of Cameroon, not just Lekié.”
They are now the third Central African club to feature in the third-place playoff and the second to win it. Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo Kings lost 3-1 to AS FAR in 2021, while DR Congo’s TP Mazembe defeated FC Masar 3-1 in 2025.
The bronze medal earned Lekié $350,000, while Kawempe settled for $300,000, leaving a $50,000 difference between the two positions.
The tournament concludes on Sunday, November 15, when two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns take on defending champions AS FAR in Ismailia at 6:00 p.m. East African Time.
The final carries a $600,000 prize for the winners, with both sides seeking another continental title