CAF Women’s Champions League 2026: Mamelodi Sundowns drawn with hosts FC Masar as AS FAR face WAFU B hopefuls

Mamelodi Sundowns will face Egyptian hosts FC Masar in Group A of the CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2026, while defending champions AS FAR will meet either Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies or Nigeria’s Edo Queens in Group B following the completion of the draw.

Sundowns, one of Africa’s established forces in women’s club football, have also been paired with Morocco’s FUS Rabat and Cameroon’s Leki Football Girls as they begin their campaign for the continental title.

Group B features AS FAR, Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies, Mali’s USFAS Bamako and the eventual winner of the WAFU Zone B qualifying contest between Ampem Darkoa and Edo Queens.

The tournament will be staged in Egypt from November 1 to 15, 2026, with the group stage scheduled to run from November 1 to 8.

Sundowns face hosts in Group A

Sundowns will headline a competitive Group A that also includes hosts FC Masar, who will enjoy home support throughout the competition.

The South African side will also come up against FUS Rabat, another Moroccan representative, and Cameroon’s Leki Football Girls in their bid to secure a place in the semi-finals.

With four teams in each group, Sundowns will need a strong start to avoid complications in the race for the knockout stage.

FC Masar will be hoping to use their familiarity with the conditions and the backing of the home crowd to challenge the more experienced sides in the group.

FUS Rabat will also seek to advance, while Leki Football Girls will aim to make their mark against some of the continent’s leading women’s clubs.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

AS FAR face potential Ghanaian or Nigerian opposition

Defending champions AS FAR have been placed in Group B, where they will face Kawempe Muslim Ladies and USFAS Bamako.

Their fourth opponent will be either Ampem Darkoa Ladies or Edo Queens, depending on the outcome of the WAFU Zone B qualification contest.

The draw sets up a potentially significant West African challenge for AS FAR, with Ampem Darkoa and Edo Queens both seeking to secure a place among Africa’s elite women’s clubs.

For the eventual qualifier, facing the reigning champions will represent one of the major tests of the group stage.

Kawempe Muslim Ladies will represent Uganda, while USFAS Bamako will carry Mali’s hopes as the four clubs compete for two semi-final places.

AS FAR will enter the tournament aiming to defend their crown, but the group presents several opponents determined to disrupt their title ambitions.

Eight clubs target continental crown

The competition brings together eight clubs that qualified through their respective regional zones, alongside the defending champions and the host nation.

Under the draw procedure, FC Masar were assigned position A1, while AS FAR occupied position B1.

The remaining clubs were placed into two levels based on their performances across the previous three editions of the competition.

Mamelodi Sundowns and USFAS Bamako were identified as the highest-ranked teams in Level I, while Kawempe Muslim Ladies, Leki Football Girls, FUS Rabat and the WAFU Zone B representative were placed in Level II.

The group-stage matches will determine the four clubs that advance to the semi-finals as the teams compete for Africa’s premier women’s club football title.

With the draw now complete, attention turns to preparations for the November tournament, where Sundowns will seek to navigate Group A and AS FAR will begin their defence against a challenging Group B field.