Kenya Women Premier League (WPL) champions Vihiga Queens are set to face off with seven other clubs for a place in this year’s Women’s Champions League slated for Ivory Coast.
Under the tutelage of Charles Okere, the team has been in training in Nairobi in readiness for the CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers set for 12 to 30 August in at the MTN Omondi Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.
Divided in two groups, the format of play will see the top two teams in each pool proceed to the semis and the final with the eventual winner making the trip to Ivory Coast.
Okere’s charges were pooled alongside JKT Queens from Tanzania, AS Kigali from Rwanda, and New Generation of Zanzibar in pool B.
Group A, has hosts Ugandan champions Kampala Queens, Ethiopia’s CBE FC, Djibouti’s FAD FC, Burundi’s Buja Queens, and South Sudan’s Yei Joints FC.
Vihiga who won the inaugural edition of the CECAFA qualifiers have their work cut out as, they face a JKT side that dethroned 2022 zonal winners Simba Queens in the Tanzanian league to season to book a place in the 2023 qualification tournament.
Defeating Simba is no mean feat as, they have been part of the champions league qualification process since the inaugural edition where, they finished third before winning it in the absence of holders Vihiga Queens last year.
The Kenyan side could not take part as the country was under FIFA suspension for government interference; at the time a caretaker committee has been put in place to run the country’s football affairs.
The showdown in Ivory Coast, scheduled from 5 to 19 November, will bring together the best clubs from across Africa, and Vihiga Queens are in chase for a chance to join Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR, the 2021 and 2022 in being declared the best in the continent.
Pool A: Kampala Queens (Uganda), C.B.E FC (Ethiopia), F.A.D FC (Djibouti), Buja Queens (Burundi), and Yei Joints FC (South Sudan)
Pool B: Vihiga Queens (Kenya), JKT Queens (Tanzania), AS Kigali (Rwanda), New Generation FC (Zanzibar).
