Tanzania’s JKT Queens are the winners of the CAF Women’s Champions league CECAFA qualifiers 2025.

A Winfrida Gerald headed goal after 5 minutes was enough to win it for JKT Queens in the final played against Rayon Sports WFC on Tusday at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

In the second half the Rwanda Women’s Champions Rayon Sports WFC tried to get back in the game, but failed to break down the JKT Queens defence.

The Tanzanians were limited to counterattacks and fast transitions, but they were defensively solid and better organized.

Azishi Kondo, JKT Queens head coach said he was confident his team would win the title. “We came here to lift the title and the mission is now accomplished. I thank the players and staff for the hard work,” added Kondo.

It was JKT Queens’ second regional title after they lifted the trophy in 2023. They are now the only team to win the regional trophy twice, while Vihiga Queens, Simba Queens and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia have lifted it once.

Elsewhere, a first-half goal from Margret Kunihira was enough to hand Kenya Police Bullets third place over Kampala Queens (Uganda).

Tanzania’s JKT Queens marched into the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers semifinals with a 2-0 victory over South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.

With a semifinal slot on the line, both sides displayed discipline early on, keeping tight spaces and relying on short passing. JKT looked sharper in attack, but Yei’s goalkeeper Nawal Majok produced brilliant saves to keep her side alive in the opening half. The game went into the break goalless, but full of promise.

The second half saw JKT raise their intensity. Just minutes after the restart, Jamila Rajab broke through Yei’s defense to calmly slot home the opener.

In the 68th minute, Esther Maseke doubled the lead with a curling strike that Majok could only get a hand to. Yei struggled to keep possession and found it hard to recover as JKT grew in confidence with their two-goal cushion.

“We were facing a better side—stronger and more tactical. That’s why we applied a defensive approach,” explained Yei Joint Stars coach Yamba Yves after the match.

The result sealed JKT’s place at the top of Group C, setting up a mouth-watering semifinal clash against hosts Kenya Police Bullets. In the other semifinal, Uganda’s Kampala Queens will take on Rwanda’s Rayon Sports on 14th September.

The 2023 champions JKT Queens FC have qualified for the semi final stage at the on-going CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA 2025 qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya.

JKT Queens qualified after registering a 2-0 win against Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan) in a Group C match played at the Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.

After a goalless first half which saw the South Sudan team defend in numbers, the JKT Queens team came all out to score in the second half through Jamila Rajabu and Esther Maseke Marwa.

Yei Joint Stars tried to fight back strongly, but failed to break through and find the goals. The win saw JKT Queens finish top of Group C with 6 points after they also defeated JKT Princess (Zanzibar) 5-0 in the opening match.

In an earlier Group B match Burundi’s Top Girls Academy and Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) played out to a barren draw, a result that confirmed the two teams exit from the competition.

The match, though evenly contested, produced limited scoring opportunities. CBE controlled large portions of the midfield with crisp passing and build-up play, but they failed to break through a well-organized Top Girls defense. The Burundian side stayed compact at the back, with their defenders and goalkeeper barely troubled in the opening half.

The first 45 minutes ended without a breakthrough, setting the stage for a tense second half. On resumption, Top Girls began to show signs of attacking intent, with standout midfielder Asha Djafari dictating play and sparking moments of brilliance. Despite her efforts, their forwards struggled to convert the chances created.

The final minutes brought drama as both sides had goals disallowed for offside, leaving the scoreboard unchanged at full time.

With the draw, Top Girls Academy concluded their tournament with two points from two draws, while CBE exited with a single point, having earlier lost to Rwanda’s Rayon Sports.

After the match, Top Girls Academy coach Mohsin Mpenda admitted his side lacked the cutting edge needed to progress:

“We were not hungry enough for goals. The opportunities were there, but we didn’t exploit them, and that has cost us a place in the knockout stage.”

Meanwhile, CBE coach Birhanu Gizaw acknowledged his team’s underwhelming run in the qualifiers but vowed to bounce back:

“We have not had a good tournament, but this experience gives us lessons. We will go back, prepare, and come back stronger next time.”

Rayon Sports WFC will now face Uganda’s Kampala Queens who finished as the best second placed side in the first semi final math on September 14th. The second semi final clash the same day will see Kenya Police Bullets take on JKT Queens.

Kenya Police Bullets FC marched into the semifinals of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers after a 2-0 victory over Eritrea’s Denden FC in a Group A clash at Nyayo Stadium.

The home side looked lively from the onset, pressing high and creating several goal-scoring opportunities. Their early dominance paid off in the 7th minute when Emily Kemunto struck to hand Police the lead. Despite squandering more chances, the Bullets doubled their advantage in the 34th minute through Zaina Namuleme, who coolly slotted home from a well-worked move.

Police went into the break 2-0 up, but Denden returned for the second half more organized defensively. The Eritrean side held firm, frustrating Coach Beldine Odemba’s charges, who were left ruing missed opportunities to kill off the game.

Despite enjoying better spells in midfield, Denden FC failed to carve out clear-cut chances to trouble the Bullets’ backline. In the end, the Kenyan champions secured all three points.

Though out of the tournament Denden FC Coach Rezene Gebregiorgis hailed his team composure having settled in from the first game anxiety. With a young team he felt the experience gathered is good for the teams growth and expects to be better with time.

Kenya Police Bullets have now confirmed their place in the semifinals, finishing top of Group A. They now await the winner of Group C who will either be JKT Queens or Yei Joint Stars in the Semi Final stage