CAF Women's Champions League
CBE ready to make CAF Women’s Champions League debut on Sunday
CECAFA Women’s champions Commercial Bank of Ethiopia WFC will make their debut in the CAF Women’s Champions League on Sunday with a Group B match against Nigeria’s Edo Queens.
The opening Group B match will see reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns face FS Masar (Egypt), and after CBE take to the field at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
Heye Gizaw Birhanu, the CBE head coach told Cecafaonline.com that his team is well prepared for the tournament and cannot wait to get started. “We know it will be our first time to play in this tournament, but my players are very motivated to prove a point,” added Birhanu.
The CBE team prepared foor 23 days and also played some friendly matches in Adama City. “We had wanted to play some build-up matches with other teams in the region like Simba Queens of Tanzania, but there was no time since CAf announced the dates for the tournament late,” added the coach.
Senaf Wakuma wo was the team’s top scorer at the Zonal qualifiers recently recovered in time from injury to join the team. The team to be captained by goalkeeper Tarikwa Bergena will however miss the services of Sisay Gebrewahild, last year’s best player in the Ethiopian Women’s Premier League due to injury.
Birhanu also stressed that they are eager to make history in the tournament.
The tournament which runs November 9-23, 2024 in Morocco will see all the eight teams be assured of bagging at least USD 150 000 in prize money.
The winning team will smile away with a cash prize of USD 600 000, the runner-up USD 400 000, and the third placed USD 350 000. The 4th placed team will take USD 300 000, and the third placed teams in each group USD 200 000 each, while the 4th placed team in each group take USD 150 000 each.