High expectations for CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifier debutants, UWC in Malawi

A lot will be expected of University of Western Cape FC when they make their CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers debut in Malawi next week.

Blantyre plays host to the Southern African qualifiers of the CAF Women’s Champions League between 15 – 24 August, where one team will join reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns at the finals of the competition in November this year.

Following Sundowns Ladies’ second CAF Women’s Champions League crowning, the reigning champions gain automatic entry into the fourth edition of the competition – affording last season’s domestic league runner’s up in South Africa, UWC an opportunity to stake their claim in Africa’s most sought-after women’s club football competition.

While this season marks UWC’s first attempt at qualifying for the CAF Women’s Champions League, the Cape Town based side has for the past three seasons finished behind Sundowns in South Africa’s domestic season.

This comes as no surprise for a club that is coached by Thinasonke Mbuli, assistant to reigning CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, Dr Desiree Ellis who together with Mbuli guided Banyana Banyana to their first-ever gold medal in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations two years ago.

In addition to Mbuli, the University club boasts an array of young and experienced talent including Banyana Banyana internationals, Noxolo Cesane, Amogelang Motau, Sibulele Holweni and Fikile Magama who have all represented South Africa.

"I think it’s a tough group. We have two teams in the group that have played in the qualifiers before so we know it won’t be easy. Obviously, we want to qualify for the Champions League. But we know we have to come prepared because it won’t be easy”, said Mbuli commenting on her side’s Group A opponents.

UWC are drawn in a dicey Group A consisting of former COSAFA champions, Green Buffaloes of Zambia.

They take on the Zambians on 15 August before facing fellow debutants, FC Ongos of Namibia two days later.

Their final group match will be against Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens on 19 August.

The CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers will be contested by 8 clubs, divided into two groups of four. The top two finishing sides will compete in the semi-finals to decide the two teams who will contest for COSAFA’s second spot in the CAF Women’s Champions League.