CAF Women’s Champions League: USFAS Bamako’s Growing Ambition
Appearance: 2nd
Most recent appearance: 2025
Best performance: Group stage in 2025
Head Coach: Amadou Cissé
How the team qualified
USFAS Bamako secured their ticket to the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League by winning the WAFU Zone A qualifying tournament, held in August and September. The Malian side got their campaign off to an ideal start with a 1-0 victory over Aigles de la Médina, followed by a 4-1 win against Determine Girls, highlighted by a brace from D. Traoré. After the group stage, USFAS booked their spot in the final by defeating Berewuleng FC 3-2, with Oumou Koné scoring twice and Aïssata Dembélé adding another.
In the final, the Bamako-based club faced Aigles de la Médina once again. Emerging victorious by the narrowest of margins (1-0), thanks to a 79th-minute goal from Oumou Koné, they won the tournament and clinched their qualification for the continental competition’s final tournament.
The Head Coach: Amadou Cissé
At the helm of USFAS Bamako, Amadou Cissé relies on discipline, team unity, and collective composure to help his squad grow on the African stage. The Malian coach led the military-affiliated side to a historic qualification for the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League, following their triumph at the WAFU Zone A qualifying tournament in Dakar.
Committed to tactical rigor and the mental toughness of his squad, he favors a style of play in which every player contributes to the team's overall balance. Cisse is aware of the demands of elite-level football, and follows an approach rooted in humility, focus, and continuous improvement. He is convinced that increasing the competitiveness of the Malian league is a vital catalyst, and aims to transform USFAS into a side capable of consistently challenging the continent’s top teams. This ambition is fueled by a simple philosophy: learn, progress, and seize every opportunity to reach the next level.
The Player: Oumou Koné
Having featured in the most recent edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League, Oumou Koné has established herself as one of USFAS Bamako’s primary attacking threats. The forward is comfortably playing either centrally or on the right flank. The Malian international stands out for her explosive pace, her ability to beat opponents in one-on-one situations, and her keen eye for goal. She made her mark during the previous continental campaign, scoring once in three appearances for USFAS—most notably in a 1–1 draw against FC Masar during the group stage.
In the 2023–2024 season, while playing for AS Mandé, she recorded three goals and one assist in three CAF Women’s Champions League matches. Named the best player and joint-top scorer at the 2025 WAFU Zone A qualifying tournament—where she netted three times—Koné has firmly cemented her importance to the Malian side. In 2026, she once again played a pivotal role in USFAS’s qualification, scoring four goals during the qualifying tournament—including a brace in the semi-final against Berewuleng FC and the winning goal in the final against Aigles de la Médina.
USFAS Bamako in the CAF Women’s Champions League
In their debut appearance at the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League, USFAS Bamako delivered an encouraging performance, finishing third in Group A—just shy of the semi-finals. The Malian side got their campaign off to an ideal start by coming from behind to defeat FC 15 de Agosto (2–1), with goals from Maimouna Traoré and Awa Diarra. They subsequently fell short to AS FAR (0–2) before heading into the final matchday with their qualification on the line against FC Masar. Despite Oumou Koné opening the scoring in the 10th minute, Amadou Cissé’s squad conceded an equalizer in stoppage time (1–1)—a result that proved insufficient to advance further. With four points from a win, a draw and a defeat, USFAS missed out on the semi-finals by a single point yet left a strong impression in their maiden outing on the continental stage.
