She Corporate drawn with hosts, Wafcon flops for consolatory Caf awards

She Corporates olayer Favour Nambatya. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE

What you need to know:

  • Caf’s plot to grow the women’s game also included a decision to hold this year’s continental awards ahead of the finals of Wafcon.

Fufa Women Super League (FWSL) champions She Corporate have been drawn with Tanzania side Simba Queens in Group B of the Cecafa region Caf Women Champions League qualifiers due August 13-27 in Dar-es-Salaam.

The competition was initially slated for late July in Arusha but has since been moved. The qualifying draws – for all regions – were done on the sidelines of the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat, Moroco as Caf pushes for a 360-degrees growth of the women’s game across the continent.

Simba Queens were last year stunned in the finals by Ugandan midfielder Joan Nabirye’s Kenyan side Vihiga Queens for a place in the women’s Champions League finals held in Morocco.

The finals of the competition will return to Morocco this year too as no other country asked to host them – including South Africa that was widely reported to be interested after Mamelodi Sundowns won the inaugural competition last November.

Corporate have beefed up their squad with signings like coach Charles Ayiekoh plus former; Makerere University goalkeeper Zahara Nankya, Uganda Christian University Lady Cardinals defender Pheobe Banura, Uganda Martyrs High School – Lubaga midfielder Anitah Namata and Rines forward Joanitah Ainembabazi thus far.

Consolation

Caf’s plot to grow the women’s game also included a decision to hold this year’s continental awards ahead of the finals of Wafcon.

Four-time winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria is in the hunt for a fifth crown in the women’s category ahead of tonight’s awards ceremony.

Her country was on Monday ousted by hosts Morocco although she missed the match through injury. Oshoala, however, faces stiff opposition from Cameroonian Ajara Nchout Njoya and new entrant Grace Chanda of Zambia – whose Wafcon dreams were ended by Nigeria at the quarterfinal and South Africa at the semi-final stages respectively.

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis and her Morocco counterpart Reynald Pedros have been rewarded for their efforts in getting those countries to the Wafcon finals with a nomination for coach of the year alongside Zambia’s Bruce Mwape and Sundowns’ Jerry Tshabalala.

For the men, Bayern Munich and Senegal forward Sadio Mane publicly had his new club declare he would grace the occasion in Morocco, where he competes against countryman and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy plus Egyptian and former Liverpool teammate Mohammed Salah.

CAF Awards

Cecafa Caf Champions League Qualifiers:

Group A: Central Bank Ethiopia, Fofila (Burundi), Warrior Queens (Zanzibar), AS Kigali

Group B: Simba Queens (Tanzania), GRFC (Rwanda), She Corporate (Uganda), Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan)

Caf Awards

Player of the Year (Women)

Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Inter Milan)

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

Andile Dlamini (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Bambanani Mbanie (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns) 

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes) 

Young Player of the Year (Women)

Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Hasaacas Ladies)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & Saint-Etienne)

Coach of the Year (Women)

Bruce Mwape (Zambia)

Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Reynald Pedros (Morocco)

Club of the Year (Women)

AS FAR (Morocco)

Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)