2026 CAF WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KICKS OFF

Africa’s women’s club football crown is up for grabs in Egypt, where eight teams have begun the chase for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League title and a $600,000 winners’ prize.
The tournament kicked off on Sunday, 1 November, at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia and runs until 15 November. It is the competition’s sixth edition and the third hosted by Egypt. cafonline.com
Opening Draws Leave Group A Wide Open
The opening day produced two goalless draws. Morocco’s FUS Rabat and Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles shared the points before Egyptian hosts FC Masar held South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns to the same result.

All four Group A teams therefore finished their opening matches on one point, leaving the contest for semi-final places evenly balanced.
Who Is Competing?
Group A Group B
FC Masar — Egypt AS FAR — Morocco
Mamelodi Sundowns — South Africa Kawempe Muslim Ladies — Uganda
FUS Rabat — Morocco USFAS Bamako — Mali
Lekié Football Filles — Cameroon Ampem Darkoa — Ghana

AS FAR are defending their 2025 title, while Sundowns are chasing a third crown after winning in 2021 and 2023. FUS Rabat, Lekié and Kawempe Muslim Ladies are making their first appearances in the continental finals.

The top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals on 11 November. The third-place match follows on 14 November, ahead of the final on 15 November.
More Than a Trophy at Stake
CAF has allocated $2.35 million in prize money. The champions receive $600,000 and the runners-up $400,000. Even teams finishing bottom of their groups earn $150,000 each.
The winners also qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, offering a route towards competition against clubs from other continents. cafonline.com

For African women’s football, the importance extends beyond the final. The tournament gives domestic clubs a continental platform, brings players before wider audiences and provides financial rewards that can support club development.
CAF says coverage is available through CAF TV on YouTube and broadcast partners, widening access to the action.
The challenge is to turn those two weeks of attention into sustained interest and investment in the domestic leagues that produce these teams.

Who is your pick for the title: defending champions AS FAR, Sundowns, hosts Masar or a surprise contender?