Sundowns Face Kawempe In Big Women's Semi-Final

It is champions versus fearless newcomers, and the prize is a place in the final.

On Wednesday, November 11, South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns will meet Uganda's Kawempe Muslim Ladies in the semi-final of the CAF Women's Champions League in Ismailia, Egypt. The match will be played at the Suez Canal Stadium, with the winners going through to the final on November 15.

Sundowns reached this stage as Group A winners. They are two-time champions, having won the competition in 2021 and 2023, and they came into this tournament with something to prove after going out in the group stage in 2024 and missing the 2025 edition.

They have been solid, not flashy. They started with a 0-0 draw against hosts FC Masar, then beat Cameroon's Lekie FF 2-1, then finished with their best performance, a 3-0 win over FUS Rabat on Saturday. That left them on seven points, with five goals scored and only one goal conceded. They were the only team to go through the group stage unbeaten.

Kawempe reached this stage in a very different way. They are debutants, the first Ugandan side ever to reach the knockout stage of this competition, and they arrived in Egypt with only a small target: reach the semi-final. They have already done that.

Their journey was dramatic. They stunned defending champions AS FAR 3-2 in their opening match, then lost 2-1 to Ghana's Ampem Darkoa, then had to win their last game. They did it in style, beating Mali's USFAS Bamako 3-0 on Sunday to finish second in Group B on six points, level with AS FAR and Ampem Darkoa, but going through on head-to-head goal difference.

The key stat to watch is goals against defence. Kawempe have scored seven goals in three games, making them one of the most productive attacks in the tournament. Sundowns have conceded just once in three games, making them the hardest team to break down.

The key player to watch is Kawempe teenager Agnes Nabukenya. She has four goals already, with braces against AS FAR and USFAS Bamako. Her first brace included a stoppage-time winner against the defending champions. For Sundowns, watch Nthabiseng Majiya, Bambanani Mbane, and Karabo Dhlamini, who all scored in the 3-0 win over FUS Rabat.

This is the first meeting between the two clubs, and it is also a first for Uganda. Before this edition, Tanzania's Simba Queens in 2022 were the only East African side to reach the semi-finals.

That is why this match matters for African women football. It shows the game is growing beyond the usual powers. Sundowns represent experience, structure, and winning pedigree. Kawempe represent what is possible when a club from a smaller league gets belief, investment, and a chance.

If Sundowns win, it will confirm their return to the top. If Kawempe win, it will be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition and a huge moment for Ugandan and East African women's football.

Either way, the Sundowns Kawempe CAF Women semi-final is no longer just a semi-final. It is a test of whether the old champions can hold off the new fearless generation.