Familiar faces, new challengers set for WAFU B CAF Women's Champions League Qualifiers
The stage is set for the highly anticipated fourth edition of the WAFU B qualifying tournament for the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League, as the competition starts in its traditional home of Côte d'Ivoire on Saturday.
The zonal qualifiers, which will determine the representative for the WAFU B region at the continental showpiece later this year, promise to be a captivating affair with a mix of familiar faces and exciting debutants.
Seven clubs from the WAFU B region have been certified to compete in the qualifying tournament, each vying for the opportunity to represent the zone at the main CAF Women's Champions League competition later in the year.
The spotlight will be firmly on the Ghanaian side in the competition as they have dominated the WAFU B qualifiers since its inception but the tournament offers a chance for new contenders to emerge and stake their claim for regional supremacy.
Connoisseurs of the women's game will be eagerly anticipating the performances of the debutants, as well as the return of Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana, who missed out on the previous two editions.
Also returning to the competition are AS Guarde National of Niger who previously played in the competition but several sides will be making their first appearance.
Nigerian side Edo Queens will be their debut and have been placed in Group B to face Hasaacas Ladies, - AO Etincelles of Burkina Faso and AS Guarde National.
Group A, made up of three teams, are all making their debuts as hosts Inter Abidjan, Ainonvi FC of Benin and Togolese side AS Kozah seeking to make the last four.
History suggests that the competition could produce some thrilling individual performances, with the previous editions' top scorers setting a high bar.
In 2021, Maryann Ezenagu, Deborah Abiodun, and Vivian Ikechukwu of Rivers Angels, along with Milot Pokua of Hasaacas Ladies, all found the net five times.
Etim Edidiong of Bayelsa Queens matched that tally in 2022, while Mary Amponsah of Ampem Darkoa Ladies scored a remarkable seven goals in 2023.
The tournament will take place in the city of Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, with the matches being held at the 40,000-capacity Stade de la paix de Bouaké.
The action is scheduled to kick off on August 10th, with the group stage matches taking place over the following week.
The format remains unchanged, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals.
The winners of those ties will advance to the final, while the two losing semi-finalists will compete for the bronze medal.
The participating teams are:
Group A:
- Inter Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)
- Ainonvi FC (Benin)
- AS Kozah (Togo)
Group B:
- Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
- AO Étincelles (Burkina Faso)
- AS Guarde National (Niger)
- Edo Queens (Nigeria)