On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, at the peak of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee held a meeting, via video-conference, to discuss the future of competitions and other related issues bordering on the impact of the pandemic on normalcy and sporting events and activities.
One of the decisions reached at the meeting was the launching of a novel continental competition for women club football called the CAF Women’s Champions League with a scheduled launch date for the following year, 2021, when it was hoped that some semblance of normalcy would have returned and football will be back in full swing.
In the intervening period, the ground work to operationalise the league began and by Monday, July 5, 2021 the newly-formed CAF Women’s Champions League took a giant leap towards realisation when the first zonal qualifier draw was conducted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
This new competition, introduced by CAF to develop women’s football product in Africa, proposed to feature top teams from all over the continent competing for the honour of the best, was planned to begin with zonal qualifiers played as eliminatory rounds.
As CAF scheduled it, the top six teams – one from each CAF zone – and the host of the final tournament, which was granted to Egypt, as well as one extra team from the zone holding the title of the previous Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (2018) will qualify to the final tournament. WAFU B will host the first zonal draw that will see women’s football clubs from Togo, Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria in the mix contesting for a place in the maiden edition of CAF Women’s Champions League final competition.
After the July 5 draw for WAFU B, there were other draws scheduled. On Wednesday, July 7, 2021, UNAF hosted their draws with Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria participating. Simultaneously, CECAFA hosted theirs with the participation of Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zanzibar. The long awaited recognition for women football and invitation to showcase their abilities at the continental level was going to be within a format of six teams, who come through the qualifiers and who will be joined by a team from the host country as well as a wild card to make eight teams. These eight will be divided into two groups of four to compete in the tournament.
In the inaugural edition, which held from November 5-19 last year, with COVID-19 pandemic and its associated travel restrictions still being enforced, the matches were played behind closed doors. Nigeria was represented by Rivers Angels had qualified for the Champions League even after losing to Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies in the WAFU B final. Still, the Nigerian ladies, riding the crest of Nigeria’s reputation as a major force in female football on the continent, were still considered favourites for the first trophy as they had won the Nigerian League title six times and had a record eight Cup titles to their name. Yet, it turned out to be a disappointing outing in Egypt. The Angels were shown hell throughout, beaten 3-0 in the opener against AS FAR of Morocco before losing by a controversial lone goal to eventual winners South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. The performance was no forgettable Nigeria was not mentioned in any of the individual awards that were given out at the end.
Despite a 4-0 win over Vihiga Queens of Kenya in their final group game, the Nigerian team was unable to progress. While Rivers Angels failed to get their campaign off the ground, Sundowns demonstrated their complete dominance of the space. Before they defeated Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in the final, they were already convincing watchers that the power shift in female football from West Africa to the South of continent was well underway. They finished the league without conceding a goal and won all their matches ahead of lifting the trophy while deservedly scooping most of the awards. It was a letdown that Bayelsa Queens, who qualified for the 2022 edition of the Champions League was wont to avoid going into the second edition of the continental competition, especially as they were drawn against the same team – Sundowns – that earned a contentious win over their compatriots, Rivers Angels, in the first edition.
Action got underway in Group B for the opening round of the CAF Women’s Champions League, hosted by Morocco on Monday, October 31. The clash between defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns and first-timers Bayelsa Queens from Nigeria was expected to be a kind of an early final at the Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech. The Queens were coming into the competition with coach 45-year-old Domo Okara at the helm after taking over in 2021 and leading them to the 2021 Betsy Obaseki Cup. They also won the 2021-22 Nigerian Women’s Premier League title and the Aiteo Cup. They also lifted the 2022 WAFU B Women’s Champions League crown, which qualified them for the Champions League, scoring 17 goals and conceding just one. In warm-up games before the tournament, they defeated Racing Athletic Casablanca 11-0 in a friendly game played at the Magic Village in Casablanca, to get into gear for the Champions League.
But, against Sundowns, all of these preparations are undone. The South African side enjoyed a successful start to the defence of their title with a 2-1 win against Bayelsa Queens in Marrakech. Lelona Daweti scored both goals for the South African champions and was brilliantly set up for her goals by compatriots Thelea Smidt and Melinda Kgadiete.
Maryann Ezenagu almost gave the Nigerians the lead as early as the third minute but her weak one-on-one effort inside the box was easily saved by Andile Dlamini. Flourish Sabastine’s 85th minute assist saw the Queens pull one back through late substitute Mary Anjor but it was too little too late for a comeback.
Coach Okara was factual enough to admit that they were not as good as the South Africans on the day and promised a better result in subsequent matches. They made improvements that saw the Bayelsa Queens bounce back from that disappointing opening defeat to beat TP Mazembe 2-0. First half goals from Miracle Joseph and Chinyere Igbomalu were all Okara’s ladies needed to see off their Central African rivals for a victory that moved the team up to second on Group B standings with three points ahead of their must-win final match against Wadi Degla. The Cameroonian goalkeeper of the Queens, Ange Gabrielle Bawou, was a major part of their victory as her heroics won her Woman of the Match and ensured their win. With the possibility of a semi-final showing and the increased prize money in this year’s competition, the match against Wadi Degla carried increased significance.
Before the commencement of the competition, CAF announced in October, an increment in the prizemoney structure for Morocco 2022. The winners of the competition were going to take home $400,000 while the runners-up were set for a $250,000 windfall. The two losing semi-finalists were set to receive $200,000 each. There were rewards for those who finish third in their Groups – $150 000 – and finally $100 000 for those who finished last.
With Group A including the host club, AS FAR (Morocco), Simba Queens SC (Tanzania), Green Buffaloes (Zambia) and Determine Girls (Liberia), and Group B including Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Bayelsa Queens (Nigeria), Wadi Degla (Egypt) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo), the Nigerian team was looking at at least $200,000 if they could get be the first Nigerian side to reach the semi-finals, and even more if they went further.
With Okara orchestrating their formation and tactics from the dugout, Bayelsa Queens defeated Wadi Degla 3-0 to guarantee themselves a piece of the $200,000 with their qualification for the last four of Morocco 2022. The Nigerians had done better than compatriots, the Rivers Angels and entered the semi-finals. Only the hosts of the competition, AS FAR, stood between the Queens and the final. Okara and his team had to be at their best in Rabat.
Unfortunately, they met a very resolute host team and lost 1-0 in the last four. It was the second time that AS FAR was facing Nigerian opposition at the CAF WCL and just as they did against Rivers Angels in their opening game of the 2021 edition, they finished victorious and advanced to set a date against Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the CAF WCL Finals.
The Moroccans secured a 1-0 semi-final victory over Nigeria to set up a final clash against holders Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. Ibtissam Jraidi’s solitary first half effort was all Mohamed Amine Alioua’s side required to secure their place in the final of the competition for the first time. The result saw the hosts surpass their previous best last year, having bowed to Hasaacas Ladies in the semi-finals in Egypt and also complete a double over Nigeria, having stopped the Super Falcons at the same stage at the women’s AFCON in July.
For Bayelsa Queens, they will now turn their attention to earning a consolatory bronze when they face up with Simba Queens in the third-place match at Moulay Hassan on November 12. Bayelsa Queens will have the chance to play for third place having already bettered the display of their Nigerian predecessors. They were the first Nigerian team at the CAF WCL to score in all three of their group stage games as Rivers Angels only managed to score in one game at the 2021 edition in their final group game, which was a 4-0 whooping of the Vihiga Queens.
In a coincidental happenstance, the Morrocan Army will now meet defending South African champions Sundowns in a final rematch on November 13 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the very same stadium where South Africa defeated Morocco to win the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July. Will fortunes change this time?
The stakes are high for women’s football on the continent. South Africa has invested human and material resources to the improvement of their domestic leagues both for males and females and with recent results over the 2020-2022 period, the benefits are being reaped. When the Banyana Banyana lifted the women’s AFCON in Cameroon, there was the clearest signal yet that Nigeria can no longer boast of being the best in Africa at the Super Falcons barely made it to the final four. Yet, Bayelsa Queens have shown that we can make incremental improvements that will gradually bring us back to prominence if sustained and encouraged from the very top to every age range football teams. We have to be deliberate about making it back to a place of prominence on the continent and beyond and competitions like the CAF WCL that count. For now, South Africa is winning that race and may very well defend it again this year with Sundowns.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
