By: Emmanuel Patrick Laku | Sports Hunter South Sudan
The group stage of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers saw eight clubs battle for four places in the knockout stage.
South Sudan champions Yei Joint Stars FC were placed in Group A alongside hosts Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (CBE), Kenya’s Kenya Police Bullets FC, and Rwanda’s Rayon Sports WFC.
Meanwhile, Group B featured former champions Simba Queens FC of Tanzania, Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC, Burundi’s PVP Buyenzi, and Djibouti’s FAD Club.
The top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-finals.
Group Stage Format
Two groups of four teams
Each team played three matches
The top two teams from each group qualified for the semi-finals
Group A
Teams:
🇪🇹 Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC
🇸🇸 Yei Joint Stars FC
🇰🇪 Kenya Police Bullets FC
🇷🇼 Rayon Sports WFC
Yei Joint Stars FC 🇸🇸 Campaign
South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars FC made their fourth consecutive appearance in the CECAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
The South Sudan champions faced a difficult group containing experienced regional sides, including Ethiopian powerhouse CBE FC and Kenya’s Kenya Police Bullets.
Despite their efforts, Yei Joint Stars exited at the group stage, continuing their journey of gaining valuable international experience.
Group Stage Results
Matchday One
Kenya Police Bullets FC 1–0 Yei Joint Stars FC
Venue: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kenya Police Bullets opened their campaign with a narrow victory over South Sudan’s representatives.
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC vs Rayon Sports WFC
CBE FC began their home tournament campaign as one of the favourites after reaching two previous finals in 2021 and 2023.
Matchday Two
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC vs Yei Joint Stars FC
Yei Joint Stars faced tournament hosts CBE FC in a challenging encounter against one of the strongest women’s clubs in the region.
CBE FC’s experience and home advantage played an important role as they pushed for qualification.
Kenya Police Bullets FC vs Rayon Sports WFC
Kenya Police Bullets continued their impressive debut campaign as they competed for a place in the knockout stage.
Matchday Three
Yei Joint Stars FC vs Rayon Sports WFC
The South Sudan champions completed their group stage matches against Rwanda’s Rayon Sports.
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC vs Kenya Police Bullets FC
The final group match determined qualification positions, with both teams targeting the knockout stage.
Group B Standings
Teams:
🇹🇿 Simba Queens FC
🇺🇬 Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC
🇧🇮 PVP Buyenzi
🇩🇯 FAD Club
Selected Group B Results
19 August 2024
PVP Buyenzi (Burundi) 0–2 Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda)
Venue: Addis Ababa Stadium
Goals:
Agnes Nabukenya 32’
Agnes Nabukenya 59’
19 August 2024
Simba Queens FC (Tanzania) 5–0 FAD Club (Djibouti)
Venue: Addis Ababa Stadium
Goals:
Jentrix Shikangwa 24’
Elizabeth Wambui 29’
Asha Rashid 75’, 80’, 89’
Referee: Khadmallah Angato Koko (Sudan)
21 August 2024
Simba Queens FC 3–0 Kawempe Muslim Ladies
Goals:
Vivian Corazone 65’
Jentrix Shikangwa 69’
Elizabeth Wambui 76’
21 August 2024
PVP Buyenzi 0–0 FAD Club
23 August 2024
Kawempe Muslim Ladies 10–0 FAD Club
Goals:
Shadia Nabirye 11’, 45’
Hadijah Nandago 22’, 34’, 51’ (pen), 68’, 79’
Halimah Kampi 53’
Rebecca Nakato 56’
Mary Kabacurezi 85’
23 August 2024
Simba Queens FC 2–2 PVP Buyenzi
Goals:
Simba Queens:
Jentrix Shikangwa 7’
Vivian Corazone 18’
PVP Buyenzi:
Rukiya Bizimana 1’
Danny Ngoyi 61’ (own goal)
Group Stage Highlights
CBE FC continued their strong record after reaching previous finals in 2021 and 2023.
Kenya Police Bullets FC impressed in their debut CECAFA campaign.
Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC produced the biggest victory of the tournament with a 10–0 win over FAD Club.
Simba Queens FC, champions in 2022, remained competitive but narrowly missed out on another final appearance.
Yei Joint Stars FC completed their fourth consecutive regional campaign, strengthening South Sudan’s presence in women’s club football.
Yei Joint Stars FC Legacy 🇸🇸
Although Yei Joint Stars FC did not advance to the knockout stage, their participation in the 2024 qualifiers marked another historic milestone.
The club became one of the few teams to compete in four consecutive editions of the CECAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers:
2021
2022
2023
2024
Their continued involvement has helped expose South Sudanese players to higher-level regional competition and contributed to the growth of women’s football in the country.
