2022 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers
Simba Queens Make History as Yei Joint Stars Represent South Sudan in Tanzania
By: Sports Hunter South Sudan
The 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers was the second edition of the regional women’s club football championship organised by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) to determine the region’s representative for the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Arusha, Tanzania, from 28 July to 10 August 2022, but was later moved to Dar es Salaam, where it was held from 15 to 27 August 2022.
A total of eight clubs representing eight CECAFA member associations competed for regional glory, with the winner earning qualification for the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
Tanzania’s Simba Queens FC emerged as champions on home soil after defeating Uganda’s She Corporate FC in the final, while South Sudan champions Yei Joint Stars FC returned for their second consecutive appearance in the competition.
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Tournament Details
Competition: CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers
Edition: 2nd edition
Host Country: Tanzania 🇹🇿
Host City: Dar es Salaam
Dates: 15–27 August 2022
Teams: 8 clubs from 8 associations
Venues: 2
Champion: Simba Queens FC (Tanzania)
Runner-up: She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Third Place: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC
Fourth Place: AS Kigali WFC
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Participating Teams
Team Association Appearance Previous Best Performance
Fofila PF Burundi 1st Debut
Garde Républicaine FC Djibouti 1st Debut
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC Ethiopia 2nd Runners-up (2021)
AS Kigali WFC Rwanda 1st Debut
Yei Joint Stars FC South Sudan 2nd Group Stage (2021)
Simba Queens FC Tanzania 2nd Third Place (2021)
She Corporate FC Uganda 1st Debut
Warriors Queens FC Zanzibar 1st Debut
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Venues
Venue City Capacity
National Stadium Dar es Salaam 60,000
Azam Complex Stadium Dar es Salaam 10,000
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Tournament Format
The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four teams during the official draw held on 20 July 2022 in Morocco.
The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage, which consisted of semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final.
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Group Stage Draw
Group A
AS Kigali WFC (Rwanda)
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (Ethiopia)
Warriors Queens FC (Zanzibar)
Fofila PF (Burundi)
Group B
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania)
She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan)
Garde Républicaine FC (Djibouti)
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Group B Standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Simba Queens FC 3 3 0 0 12 0 +12 9
2 She Corporate FC 3 2 0 1 18 2 +16 6
3 Yei Joint Stars FC 3 1 0 2 6 10 -4 3
4 Garde Républicaine FC 3 0 0 3 0 20 -20 0
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Group Stage Results
14 August 2022
She Corporate FC (Uganda) 6–0 Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan)
Venue: National Stadium, Dar es Salaam
Referee: Antsino Twanyanyukwa (Namibia)
Goals:
Nabbuma 28’, 53’
Namata 32’
Namiru 45+2’
Nambatya 73’
Ainembabazi 86’
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14 August 2022
Garde Républicaine FC (Djibouti) 0–6 Simba Queens FC (Tanzania)
Venue: National Stadium, Dar es Salaam
Referee: Letticia Viana (Eswatini)
Goals:
Kuzoya 30’
Barakat 32’, 81’
Djafari 41’, 69’
Bakuru 51’
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17 August 2022
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania) 2–0 She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Goals:
Vivian Corazone Aquino 21’
Pambani Kuzoya 61’
Referee: Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)
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17 August 2022
Garde Républicaine FC (Djibouti) 0–6 Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan)
Goals:
Mariam Luiz 11’, 63’
Alworonga Debora 19’, 34’, 56’, 68’
Referee: Tsehaynesh Abebe (Ethiopia)
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20 August 2022
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania) 4–0 Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan)
Goals:
Vivian Corazone Aquino 16’
Philomena Abakah 22’, 63’
Opa Clement 31’
Referee: Suavis Iratunga (Burundi)
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20 August 2022
Garde Républicaine FC (Djibouti) 0–8 She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Goals:
Nambatya 3’, 36’, 55’
Nabbuma 5’, 20’, 89’
Nakasi 6’
Ainembabazi 41’
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Knockout Stage
Semi-finals
24 August 2022
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania) 5–1 AS Kigali WFC (Rwanda)
Goals:
Simba Queens:
Vivian Corazone Aquino 15’, 47’
Opa Clement 30’
Aisha Manunka 38’
Diana Mnally 85’
AS Kigali:
Dorothee Mukeshimana 28’
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Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC 1–2 She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Goals:
CBE: Loza Abera 62’
She Corporate:
Anita Namata 20’
Phiona Nabbuma 75’
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Third Place Match
27 August 2022
AS Kigali WFC 1–3 Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC
Goals:
AS Kigali: Aregash (own goal) 63’
CBE FC:
Loza Abera 9’
Hasabe Gila 32’
Aregash 45+1’
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Final
27 August 2022
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania) 1–0 She Corporate FC (Uganda)
Venue: National Stadium, Dar es Salaam
Goal:
Vivian Corazone Aquino 46’ (Penalty)
Simba Queens FC were crowned champions of the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers, securing their place at the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
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Final Positions
Position Team
🏆 Champions Simba Queens FC (Tanzania)
🥈 Runners-up She Corporate FC (Uganda)
🥉 Third Place Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC
4th AS Kigali WFC
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Tournament Statistics
Matches Played: 16
Goals Scored: 72
Average Goals Per Match: 4.5
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Individual Awards
🏆 Player of the Tournament: Vivian Corazone Aquino (Kenya) – Simba Queens FC
🧤 Best Goalkeeper: Gelwa Yona (Tanzania) – Simba Queens FC
⚽ Top Scorer: Loza Abera (Ethiopia) – CBE FC (11 goals)
🏅 Fair Play Award: AS Kigali WFC (Rwanda)
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Top Goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Loza Abera CBE FC (Ethiopia) 11
2 Medina Busser CBE FC (Ethiopia) 6
3 Phiona Nabbuma She Corporate FC (Uganda) 6
4 Zawadi Usanase AS Kigali WFC 5
5 Alworonga Debora Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan) 4
5 Favour Nambatya She Corporate FC 4
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The 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers concluded with Simba Queens FC becoming the first Tanzanian side to lift the regional women’s club title, while Yei Joint Stars FC continued to represent South Sudan on the continental stage and gained valuable experience against some of East Africa’s strongest women’s teams.
