In Summary: Kawempe Muslim are chasing a historic place in the CAF Women’s Champions League final on their debut, but standing in their way are two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won all three of their previous semi-final appearances.
Ismailia, Egypt — Kawempe Muslim Ladies face their toughest test yet when they take on South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the semi-finals of the CAF Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, with a place in the continental final at stake.
The Ugandan debutants will meet the two-time champions at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, hoping to make history by becoming the first East African club to reach the final of the competition.
Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifah acknowledged the difficulty of reaching the last four but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to overcome another formidable opponent. “It was really very tough. It was not an easy qualification. Actually, I qualified through what we call a table after a tie. But all in all, we qualified,” Khalifah said.
He recognised Sundowns’ pedigree but insisted that his players would concentrate on their own strengths and approach the encounter with a winning mentality. “We are moving to another big task, playing against another champion again. That is Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa.
“The team, I know, is strong. They have taken this trophy two times. But as Kawempe, we are going to go back to our game. We are going to concentrate and find a way of winning them,” he added.
Kawempe secured their semi-final qualification after finishing second in Group B with six points from three matches.
They began their campaign with an impressive 3-2 victory over Moroccan side AS FAR before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa.
The Ugandan side recovered with a convincing 3-0 victory over Mali’s USFAS Bamako in their final group match to secure a place in the last four.
That victory also saw Kawempe become the first East African club to score in all three of its group-stage matches at the tournament.
Agnes Nabukenya has emerged as one of the team’s standout performers, scoring four goals so far, the highest tally by a player representing an East African club in the competition.
Goalkeeper Josephine Nambuya also provided an important boost by keeping her first clean sheet of the tournament in the victory over USFAS Bamako.
However, Sundowns present a different challenge, having demonstrated their continental experience throughout the group stage.
The South African side topped Group A with seven points after recording victories over Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles and Morocco’s FUS Rabat, alongside a goalless draw against FC Masar.
Sundowns are making their fifth appearance at the tournament and have won the title twice, in 2021 and 2023. They also reached the final in 2022, finishing as runners-up.
Their semi-final record further underlines the challenge facing Kawempe. Sundowns have won all three of their previous semi-final appearances and are yet to concede a goal at that stage of the competition.
They have also won all four previous encounters against East African clubs without conceding.
Wednesday’s encounter will be the first meeting between Kawempe and Sundowns in the competition, setting up a contest between an ambitious debutant and one of Africa’s established women’s football sides.
Wednesday’s semi-final fixtures
| Match | Kick-off |
|---|---|
| AS FAR (Morocco) vs Lekié Football Filles (Cameroon) | 4:00pm |
| Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) | 7:00pm |
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In the other semi-final, defending champions AS FAR of Morocco face Cameroonian debutants Lekié Football Filles, with the winners of the two matches advancing to the final.
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