UWC in Women’s Champions League qualifiers

This will be the first time that the students or any other South African team in the Hollywoodbets Super League for that matter, participate in the tournament as Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have been ever present since inception in 2021.

All eight COSAFA clubs taking part in the qualifiers have already been determined.

COSAFA Qualifiers Participating Teams:

• UWC (South Africa)
• Gaborone United (Botswana)
• Young Buffaloes (Eswatini)
• Ascent Academy (Malawi)
• UD Lichinga (Mozambique)
• FC Ongos (Namibia)
• Green Buffaloes (Zambia)
• Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe)      

“This is the best news ever, we have always wanted to test ourselves at a higher level against teams on the continent and we are excited that the opportunity has come for us to first compete in the region. We know it is not going to be easy but we will go out there and give it our all,” said an elated but cautious UWC coach Thinasonke Mbuli.

“I am very happy for the players, they have always wanted it more than anything. It gives us great pleasure that we are the first university team in South Africa to play in the tournament, but we also understand the pressure of representing the country, hence we say we will give it a good go.”

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Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies automatically qualify for the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League continental final, by virtue of having won the Championship last year. To that effect, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has nominated the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the team that finished second in the 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League season, to participate in the COSAFA Zonal Qualifier, and this implies that the COSAFA region will, this year, be represented at the continental final by two of its clubs.

Green Buffaloes of Zambia lifted the COSAFA trophy in 2023 and 2022, while Sundowns Ladies won gold in the inaugural event in 2021. The date for the draw of the 2024 edition is yet to be announced.

The 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League competition proper, set for later this year, will feature eight teams – the defending champions (Sundowns Ladies), the hosts, as well as six zonal union winners from COSAFA (Southern Africa) WAFU A (West Africa), WAFU B (West Africa), UNNIFAC (Central Africa), CECAFA (East and Central Africa) and UNAF (North Africa).

The draw for the CECAFA, UNAF, UNIFFAC and WAFU B Draws will take place on Wednesday (24 July) at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo Egypt.

Zone representatives at the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League Finals

• COSAFA: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (South Africa)
• WAFU A: AS Mande (Mali)
• WAFU B: Ampem Darkoa (Ghana)
• UNIFFAC: Huracanes (Equatorial Guinea)
• CECAFA: JKT Queens (Tanzania)
• UNAF: SC Casablanca (Morocco)