Seventeen referees and assistant referees are undergoing preparations ahead of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers 2026.

Rwanda will host the tournament from August 21-31^st in the capital Kigali with 10 teams taking part.

Head of refereeing for the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Ali Ahmed told Cecafaonline.com that all the 16 female referees are responding well to the preparations that are in class and also physical.

“We are excited about the level of fitness among most of the referees and assistants invited and we are confident they will be at their best while handling the matches,” added Ahmed.

Fresh from officiating at the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, two referees Aline Umutoni (Rwanda) and Kenya’s Josephine Wanjiku will join the other 14 referees to handle the Zonal qualifier. The tournament will have eight referees and nine assistant referees.

The referees and assistant referees underwent a workshop at the Gorillas Golf Hotel, and also had a physical exercise at the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) ground on Wednesday.

Hone team Rayon Sport WFC, Yei Joint Star FC (South Sudan), Mafunzo SC (Zanzibar), Denden FC (Eritrea), CBE FC (Ethiopia), Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), FC Ujeco (Djibouti), Simba Queens (Tanzania), Kenya Police Bullets FC (Kenya), and Top Girls Academy FC from Burundi are the ten teams taking part in the Zonal qualifiers.

The champion will represent the CECAFA Zone at the CAF Women’s Champions League 2026.

Referees

Henriette Buyukenya, Aline Umutoni, Regine Mukayoranga (Rwanda), Diana Murungi, Immaculate Ongiera (Uganda), Joseyline Nsabimana, Anitha Niyokindi (Burundi), Josephine Wanjiku, Virgina Wangui (Kenya), Deka Muse (Djibouti), Mary Sulaimani, Zawadi Yusuf (Tanzania), Yordanos Mulgeta, Woinshet Abera (Ethiopia), Arsema Haile (Eritrea), Emmanuella Ako, Stella Sebit (South Sudan)  

Gaadiidka FC are the 2025/2026 Somali Premier League champions.

In a deciding match played at the Mogadishu Stadium on Friday, Gaadiidka FC secured a goalless draw against third placed Dekedaha FC to finish top.

The draw saw Gaadiidka FC finish with 51 points, while Heegan FC came second with 50 points. The 2024/2025 winners Mogadishu City FC finished in 4^th place with 42 points.

It is the second time Gaadiidka FC win the Somali Premier League after they first secured it in the 2021/2022 season.

Jubba FC and Gantaalaha FC that finished 12^th and 11^th respectively have been relegated to the lower Division.

Sudan’s Al Hilal SC have been drawn against Burundi Premier League champions Aigle Noir CS in the first preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

The draw was conducted on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.

The 2025/2026 quarter finalists Al Hilal SC will play the first leg in Burundi between September 4-6^th, and later hosts their return leg in Kigali between September 11-13^th.

Incase they go past the first hurdle, Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will then face the winner between Aigloms FC N’Djamena (Chad) and Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia).

“The CECAFA Kagame Cup has given us good preparations ahead of the CAF Champions League,” says Al Hilal SC head coach Guy Bukasa Misakabu.

South Sudan Premier League champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu will also make a return to the competition when they face Heegan SC (Somalia), while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) take on Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the first preliminary round.

Uganda’s Vipers SC will take on Mauritania’s giants FC Nouadhibou, APR FC (Rwanda) face Les Aigles Du Congo, while Young Africans SC (tanzania) play Botswana’s Gaborone Utd FC.

The three highest-ranked clubs earned a bye through the first preliminary round: South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance and Renaissance Berkane.

The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.

Fresh from taking part in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, Mogadishu City Club FC will face Kitara FC (Uganda) in the first preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.

The two teams were drawn together during the official draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.

Mogadishu City Club who will host their matches in Nairobi, Kenya will play the first leg at home before traveling to Uganda. The first leg matches will take place September 4-6^th, while the return legs are slated for September 11-13^th.

The winner between the Ugandan team and Mogadishu City Club will face African giants Al Ahly SC in the second preliminary in October.

Sudan’s Al Hilal Alsahii and Walwalo Adigrat USC (Ethiopia) will also face off, with the winner facing the winner between KMKM SC (Zanzibar) and Al Ahly Tripoli in the second preliminary round.

Tanzania Premier League side who were exempted from the first preliminary round will face the winner between ZED FC (Egypt) and ASAS Djibouti Tel.

Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC who are in the CECAFA Kagame Cup final on Friday will tussle it out with Pathere Sportive FC in the first round, while Burundi’s Rukinzo FC take on Durban City FC (South Africa) in the first preliminary round.

Two other matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will see Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) face Tusker FC (Kenya), while South Sudan’s Al-Ghazala SC battle Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania).

The Second Preliminary Round will begin from October 16-18, before the decisive return legs are staged from October 23-25.