The race for places in the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League is gathering pace across Africa as regional qualifying tournaments determine which clubs will join defending champions AS FAR in the continental finals.
The six zonal qualification tournaments are being used to fill the remaining places in the sixth edition of the competition, according to CAF’s latest qualification overview.
In the WAFU B zone, Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies and Nigeria’s Edo Queens have reached the semi-final stage, while Burkina Faso’s USFA have also progressed from the group phase. The results underline the growing competitiveness of women’s club football in West Africa.
Ampem Darkoa make their mark
Ampem Darkoa strengthened their campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Edo Queens, finishing their group with three wins from three. CAF reported that the Ghanaian side overturned the deficit to secure top position, while Edo Queens also advanced.
The result adds another chapter to a regional rivalry in which Ghanaian and Nigerian clubs are competing for a limited route into Africa’s premier women’s club competition.
Elsewhere, the qualification process is unfolding across CAF’s other regional zones. Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have secured the COSAFA route, reinforcing their status as one of the continent’s leading women’s clubs, while other zonal competitions are determining the remaining finalists.
More than a series of qualifiers
The regional tournaments provide a useful measure of how quickly women’s club football is developing across the continent. The CAF Women’s Champions League was launched in 2021 and has given leading domestic clubs a regular continental competition that previously did not exist.
That platform has increased the importance of national women’s leagues and regional qualification. Clubs must now build squads capable not only of winning domestically but of navigating concentrated regional tournaments against champions from neighbouring countries.
The emergence of competitive sides from Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Zambia and other markets also broadens the continental landscape beyond a small group of established powers.
A wider African football story
Women’s football across Africa has attracted greater institutional and commercial attention in recent years, helped by stronger national-team performances, expanded continental competitions and growing visibility for players moving into major international leagues.
Club development is an essential part of that ecosystem. Competitive domestic and regional teams create regular playing environments, coaching pathways and opportunities for players before they reach national-team level.
The current qualifiers are still in progress, so the final continental field is not yet complete. But the intensity of the regional contests is already showing that qualification itself is becoming a significant competition rather than a formality.
As the remaining zones conclude their tournaments, the 2026 field will offer another test of whether the competitive depth visible in qualification can carry into the continental finals.
Sources
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