Women’s Champions League: FC Masar dreams big on home soil

Appearances: 3rd

Most recent appearance: 2025

Best performance: Third place in 2024

Head coach: Abdelrahman Ayed

How the team qualified

FC Masar secured their qualification for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League as the champions of Egypt, the host nation for the tournament. The Egyptian side also competed in the North African Football Union (UNAF) qualifying tournament, where they finished second behind winners, FUS Rabat. FC Masar made a striking start, securing a commanding 9-0 victory over ASF Sousse, followed by a 5-0 win against CF Akbou. Although they were defeated 1-3 by FUS Rabat on the final matchday, the Egyptian team concluded the tournament with two wins and one loss. While they did not secure qualification through the UNAF tournament, their status as national champions guaranteed them a spot in the final tournament, which is being held in Egypt.

The coach: Abdelrahman Ayed

At just 29 years old, Abdelrahman Ayed has established himself as one of the young coaches to watch in Egyptian women’s football. Appointed as head coach of FC Masar in January 2025, he experienced a rapid rise, having hung up his boots at the age of 21 following a playing career with Al Maadi SC. 

He began his coaching career in 2018 under American coach Robert Riaso, later managing lower division side Scientific Groups Club and helping Al Maadi avoid relegation, before briefly serving as assistant coach for the Egyptian national team. During his time in England, he earned UEFA C then B coaching licenses and worked with youth teams at Bradford and Southampton while pursuing a master’s degree which further shaped his coaching philosophy. 

At the helm of FC Masar, Ayed champions an approach rooted in collective play, tactical versatility, and rigor across every phase of the game: attacking play, defensive organization, transitions, and set pieces. Prioritizing the system over individual brilliance, he also focuses on the development of young players and the creation of a professional environment. 

His early results speak for themselves: FC Masar has maintained its momentum at the pinnacle of Egyptian football, reaching the semi-finals of the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League, following a third-place finish in their continental debut in 2024.

The Player: Jentrix Shikangwa

The Kenyan international born on 27 November 2001 in Kakamega, Jentrix Shikangwa has steadily established herself as one of the most formidable forwards in East African women’s football. 

Developing her skills in Kenya, she rose to prominence with Vihiga Queens, winning three consecutive national league titles in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Her talent also shone on the international stage; she finished as the top scorer at the 2019 CECAFA Women’s Championship with ten goals, playing a key role in Kenya’s tournament victory. 

Her career path subsequently took her to Turkey, where she played for Fatih Karagümrük, and then to China with Beijing Beikong, before she joined the Tanzanian club Simba Queens in 2022. Proving to be exceptionally prolific, she scored 17 goals in 13 matches during her first season with the Tanzanian side, followed by 23 goals in 18 appearances in the 2024–2025 season. Over four seasons, she netted 69 league goals for Simba Queens—including 21 during the 2025–2026 campaign—helping the team secure a national title before she moved on to FC Masar in Egypt. 

A left-footed forward, Shikangwa stands out for her eye for goal, her physical strength in duels, her ability to beat opponents in one-on-one situations, and her clinical finishing inside the penalty area. Equally adept at making runs in behind the defense and creating opportunities in tight spaces, she serves as a major attacking asset for FC Masar, with the ambition of cementing her status as a top-tier goal scorer on the continental stage.

FC Masar in the CAF Women’s Champions League

In their debut appearance at the CAF Women’s Champions League—held in Morocco in 2024—FC Masar made a strong impression by securing third place, a historic achievement for an Egyptian club in the competition. After advancing from the group stage, the Egyptian side was defeated in the semi-finals by AS FAR (1–2) but ultimately finished on the podium after overcoming Nigeria’s Edo Queens in a penalty shootout (4–3), following a goalless draw.

Returning in 2025—this time on home soil—FC Masar confirmed their progress by once again reaching the final four. They finished second in Group A, behind AS FAR, thanks in large part to a decisive 1–1 draw against USFAS Bamako. Although they were defeated 3–1 by TP Mazembe in the semi-finals, the Egyptian side ultimately secured fourth place. Two consecutive appearances in the final four testify to the club’s growing strength on the continental stage and fuel their ambitions for the 2026 edition.