CAF Women’s Champions League Cote d’Ivoire 2023: Team Facts

• This will be the third edition of the tournament. 
• The Cote d’ Ivoire will play host for the first time. 
• Previous two editions in 2021 and 2022 were held in Egypt and Morocco. 

Athletico FC d’ Abidjan (CIV) 

• 2022-23 Cote d’Ivoire Champions. 
• Wille be making their tournament debut. 
• Are the first team from the Cote d’ Ivoire to qualify for the competition. 
• Did compete in the WAFU Zone B where they ended third. 
• Went undefeated through their league campaign last season won 17 games and drew just one game. 
• Won their final 11 league games of the season. 

Ampem Darkoa (GHA) 

• Hail from Techiman in the Bono East Region of Ghana. 
• 2022-23 Ghanaian top flight winners. 
• Came through the WAFU B Zone Qualifiers, defeating Nigerian side Delta Queen F.C. in the final. 
• Are the second team from Ghana to feature in the finals, their rivals Hasaacas Ladies were runners up in the inaugural competition in 2021. 
• Defeated Togolese team Academie Amis du Monde 4-2 and Athletico FC d’ Abidjan 3-1 in the group stages and Sam Nelly of Benin 4-1 in the last four. They defeated Delta Queens FC of Nigeria 1-0 in the final. 
• Mary Amponsah was their top scorer in the qualifiers with scoring 8 of her teams 12 goals in the qualifiers including back-to-back hattricks in the group stages. Was also the Ghana Premier League player of the season in 2022-23, scoring 16 goals in the league last season.  
• Their recent impressive displays earned captain Mavis Owusu a transfer to the Saudi Super League with Al Hilal. 

AS Mande (MLI) 

• Winners of the WAFU Zone A Qualifiers. 
• Defeated determine girls of Liberia, and then drew with Mogbwemo Queens of Sierra Leone and AS Dakar of Senegal in the group stage. To finish top of the group and reach their second finals. 
• Were part of the first CAF WCL in 2021, will be looking to go beyond the group stages this time around. 
• Were drawn in group a in 2021 with Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana, Malabo Kings of Equatorial Guinea and hosts Wadi Degla of Egypt in the group stages. 
• Awa Traore scored their first goal at the finals in their opening game in 2021 against Egyptian side Pyramids. 
• Nicknamed The Mandekas. 

Huracanes (EQG) 

• Last seasons Equatorial Guinean Women’s Primera Division Champions. 
• Ended Malabo Kings domination of their domestic league last season to with their first top flight title. 
• Winners of the 2023 UNIFFAC Qualifiers. 
• Defeated TP Mazembe of the DR Congo 3-2 and AS Epah- Ngamba of Congo 5-1 to progress to the CAF WCL for the first time. 
• Are Equatorial Guinea’s second representative at the finals, Malabo Kings were the first at the inaugural tournament in 2021 when they reached the Semi-finals finishing fourth. 
• Elena Obono was their top scorer in the qualifiers, which included her scoring a hattrick in a 5-1 win over AS Epah- Ngamba of Congo. 

JKT Queens (TAN) 

• Are Tanzania’s second representative at the finals. 
• Tanzania will have a representative for the second successive finals after Simba Queens who ended fourth in the 2022 edition in Morocco. 
• Won the CECAFA Qualifiers to reach this stage, defeated AS Kigalia of Rwanda, New Generation FC of Zanzibar and 2021 WCL Qualifiers Vihiga Queens of Kenya to progress top of their group. 
• Overcame Burundi’s Buja Queens in the last four and defeated CBE FC of Ethiopia on penalties in the final to qualify for the first time. 
• Scored seven goals in the Qualifiers with five players getting onto the scoresheet were also the beneficiaries of an own goal. 
• Situmai Abdallah was voted the Most Valuable player from the qualifiers and Njiat Idrisa was named best goalkeeper. 

AS FAR (MAR)

• Defending champions returning for a third time. 
• Finished third at the inaugural tournament in 2021, won the title as hosts in 2022. 
• Defeated defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the final in 4-0 in Rabat on 13 November 2022. 
• Will be looking to become the first team to successfully defend their title. 
• Have only ever lost two games at the tournament out of 10 which was a group stage game in 2021 against Vihiga Queens of Kenya and a Semi-final against Hasaacas Ladies also in 2021. 
• Have won their last six games in the competition, starting with a third-place game in 2021. 
• Are the only team in competition history to win five successive games in one tournament. 
• Have won their last eight domestic league titles. 

SC Casablanca (MAR) 

• Morocco’s second representative at the finals, after AS FAR. 
• Won the UNAF Qualifiers defeating Afak Relizane 4-3 in their opening game, then 3-1 against Tunisian side ASF Sousse and Wadi Degla 6-1 in their final game. 
• Chaymaa Mourtaji was their top scorer in the qualifiers with five goals. 
• The team from Casablanca was only formed in 2019 and have qualified for their debut finals. 

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (RSA) 

• Winners of the inaugural tournament in 2021 defeated Hasacaas Ladies of Ghana in the final in Egypt. 
• Runners up in the last tournament in 2022 losing to AS Far in the finals. 
• Are one of two teams to have reached every finals along with AS FAR. 
• Were undefeated in 9 games in the tournament (W7 D2) until losing in the final in 2022. 
• Went through the 2021 finals without conceding a goal in their five games. 
• Hold the record for being the only team to keep five successive clean-sheets at the finals which they did in 2021. 
• Have kept eight clean-sheets out of 10 games at the finals. 
• Won their second COSAFA Women’s Champions League title defeating Double Action Ladies of Botswana in the final 2-0, along with their 2021 title. 
• Have been to all five finals at major competitions including three COSAFA WCL Finals and two CAF Women’s CL Finals. 
• Have won the last four South African top flight titles.