Nabirye looking for more as inaugural women's champions league starts

The inaugural season of the Caf Women's Champions League gets underway today in Cairo, Egypt.

Uganda has no team representing the Pearl as Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) champions Lady Doves were knocked out of the semifinals of the Cecafa region qualifying tournament in September.

However, Joan Nabirye, the 22 year old Crested Cranes defensive midfielder is ready to shoulder the responsibility of not only representing Kenyan side Vihiga Queens but carrying absent Uganda's flag too.

"It is everyone's dream to play in such competitions so I feel great about it (being the only Ugandan at the tournament)," Nabirye told Daily Monitor ahead of their Group B match with South Africa side Mamelodi Sundowns tomorrow. 

The first quest is to finish in the top two in a group that also has Morocco side FAR Rabat and Nigeria's Rivers Angels to make the semifinals. The other group has hosts Wadi Degla, Mali's Mande, Equatorial Guinea's Malabo Kings and Ghana's Hasaacas.

The men's team of Sundowns is home to Uganda's living legendary goalkeeper Dennis Onyango - who has won one Champions League in his glittering career.

Nabirye will want a bit of that and is not worried about the reputation some of the teams come with due to their affiliation to historical men's sides.

"This is a women's competition so I do not look at what the men's teams of our rivals have done.

We have no reason to fear because we are all here as national champions and the competition in Kenya and the qualifiers was high, it prepared us for this.

"There is no pressure on us because that usually comes with unfitness. But I want to believe we have had very good preparations and we are ready."

Speaking of preparation, the Cecafa region qualifying tournament revealed Nabirye, who had a quiet stint at local side Asubo-Gafford before moving to Vihiga last year, to Ugandans. 

"I always pray to God to bring me better opportunities to grow my career, so I had to move from to Vihiga to realize my dream of playing outside Uganda. And I am happy with how it is going so far."

She duly made her national team debut in the Cosafa Women Championships last month and was also a vital cog in the team that just eliminated Ethiopia to set up a second round Africa Women's Cup of Nations qualifiers encounter with Kenya for a place in the finals.

CAF WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

FRIDAY - GROUP A

Wadi Degla (EGY) vs. Mande (MALI), 5pm

Malabo Kings (EQ.G) vs. Hasaacas (GHA), 8pm

TOMORROW - GROUP B

Vihiga Queens (KEN) vs. Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), 5pm

FAR Rabat (MOR) vs. Rivers Angels (NIG), 8pm