CAF Women's Champions League

The CAF Women's Champions League (French: Ligue des Champions Féminine de la CAF; Arabic: دوري أبطال إفريقيا للسيدات), sometimes abbreviated as CAF WCL, is an annual international women's association football club competition in Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football, involving the continent's top women's club teams.[2][3] It is the female counterpart of the CAF Champions League.

CAF Women's Champions League
Organising bodyCAF
Founded12 September 2020 (2020-09-12)
RegionAfrica
Number of teamsFinal tournament: 8
Total: 33
Current championsMorocco AS FAR (1st title)
Most successful club(s)Morocco AS FAR
South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns
(1 title each)
Television broadcasters
WebsiteOfficial website
2022 CAF Women's Champions League

History

CAF cancelled the 2020 Women's Africa Cup of Nations at a virtual executive meeting on 30 June citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football in Africa as the reason and rather approved the creation of the CAF Women's Champions League.[4] This tournament was launched on 12 September that year.[5] South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns beat Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana 2-0 as they made history and won the first ever Women's African Champions League title in Cairo.[6][7]

On 18 April 2022, CAF issued a press release to its member associations wishing to engage their domestic league champions in the qualification procedures for the upcoming edition to submit viable club licensing documents to them by 31 May 2022.[8][9] The second edition witnessed AS FAR of Morocco, crowned champions after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns 4-0 in the final.[10]

Sponsorship

This tournament uses the same sponsors as other major CAF competitions, including the CAF Champions League.

Format

The format for the first edition saw the champions of each of the six CAF zones play for a spot in the competition.[11] They are joined by the hosts and an extra team from the zone of the defending/reigning/current Women's Africa Cup of Nations champions (for the inaugural edition only).[12] The tournament is currently played in two groups of four teams. Since the 2022 edition, the spot reserved for the additional team from the CAF sub-region of the incumbent Women's AFCON is given instead to this tournament's defending champions.[9]

Prizes

2022

In 2022, CAF introduced prize money for the eight participants in group stage for the first time in an African football club competition.[13]

Final

position

 Prize money
Champions US$400,000
Runners-up US$250,000
Semi-finalists US$200,000
3rd in group stage US$150,000
4th in group stage US$100,000

Results
Key
dagger Match was won during extra time
* Match won after a penalty shoot-out
CAF Women's Champions League finals
Season Winners Score Runners-up Venue Attendance
2021 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns 2–0 Ghana Hasaacas Ladies 30 June Stadium, Cairo 0[note 1]
2022 Morocco AS FAR 4–0 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat 15,000
Upcoming finals
Season Finalist Match Finalist Venue Attendance
2023 –

Records and statistics

Winners by club
Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns11 2021 2022
Morocco AS FAR10 2022
Ghana Hasaacas Ladies01 2021

By nation
Nation Winners Runners-up Semi-finalists Winner Runners-up Semi-finalists
 South Africa 1 1 0
 Morocco 1 0 1
 Ghana 0 1 0
 Equatorial Guinea 0 0 1
 Nigeria 0 0 1
 Tanzania 0 0 1

Performances by region
Federation (Region) Clubs Winners Clubs Runners-up Titles
COSAFA (Southern Africa) Mamelodi Sundowns (1) Mamelodi Sundowns (1) 1
UNAF (North Africa) AS FAR (1) 1
WAFU (West Africa) Hasaacas Ladies (1) 0
UNIFFAC (Central Africa) 0
CECAFA (East Africa) 0

Awards

Most Valuable Player
YearPlayerClubRef.
2021South Africa Andile DlaminiSouth Africa Mamelodi Sundowns [14]
2022Morocco Fatima TagnaoutMorocco AS FAR [15]

Top scorers by tournament

The top scorer award is given for most goals in the main tournament phases.

SeasonTop scorerTeamGoalsRef.
2021Ghana Evelyn BaduGhana Hasaacas Ladies5 [16]
2022Morocco Ibtissam JraïdiMorocco AS FAR6 [17]

See also

Notes & references

Notes
  1. The final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
  2. AS FAR finished 3rd in 2021.
  3. Malabo Kings finished 4th in 2021.
  4. Bayelsa Queens finished 3rd in 2022.
  5. Simba Queens finished 4th in 2022.

References
  1. "TotalEnergies Women's Champions League: Global TV stations and online platforms to show inaugural tournament around the world". CAFOnline.com. 5 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. "African women's football primed for new chapter". FIFA.com. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Grainey, Tim (31 October 2021). "The Week in Women's Football: African Champions League; COSAFA; DR Congo controversy - Tribal Football". Tribal Football. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. "Decisions of CAF Executive Meeting – 30 June 2020". CAFOnline.com. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020. Due to challenging conditions, the 2020 edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled.Meanwhile, the CAF Women's Champions League will be launched in 2021. The format and other details will be communicated in due course.
  5. "CAF Women's Champions League takes one giant leap towards realization". CAFOnline.com. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  6. "Mamelodi make history as first Champions League winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  7. Mjikeliso, Sibusiso (19 November 2021). "Sundowns Ladies make history by winning first-ever CAF Women's Champions League title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  8. "CAF Club Licensing process for TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League 2022 now open" (Press release). CAFOnline.com. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  9. "CAF Women's Champions League 2022 - Participation Criteria, Club Licensing process and Stadium requirements" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  10. "ASFAR dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns to win first CAF Women's Champions League title | CAF Women's Champions League Morocco 2022". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  11. "TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League WAFU B draw kicks-off a new era". CAFOnline.com. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  12. Komugisha, Usher (12 September 2020). "CAF reveals women's champions league format". Pan-African Football. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  13. "CAF announces CAF Women's Champions League prize money for 2022 edition". CAFOnline.com. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  14. "CAF TSG releases the Best XI of TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League". CAFOnline.com. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022. Andile Dlamini was chosen as the best of the tournament. The South African has not conceded a goal in three appearances for Sundowns, completing the heroics of her teammate Asa Rabalao who was chosen as the best goalkeeper in the group stage.
  15. "CAF Women's Champions League 2022: Influential Fatima Tagnaout gets Best Player award". CAFOnline.com. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  16. "Caf Women's Champions League: Evelyn Badu wins top scorer award". GhanaSoccerNet. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  17. "CAF Women's Champions League 2022: Lethal Ibtissam Jraidi wins golden boot". CAFOnline.com. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
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