WOMEN
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia win CECAFA Women’s Champions League 2024 title
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia WFC are the champions of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifier 2024.
After losing at the final twice, coach Birhanu Gizaw Heye’s team this time made it count when they defeated Kenya Police Bullets 1-0 in the final played at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
The tournament’s top scorer Senaf Wakuma Zenaf Demise netted the lone goal after 79 minutes after her team had dominated play from kick-off. The Kenyan side who were making their debut in the tournament resorted to a defensive approach as the CBE team piled more and more pressure.
The pressure paid off for the home side with several passes exchanged before Zenaf Demise placed the ball past Kenya Police Bullets goalkeeper Annedy Kundu Kwamasi.
It was all celebrations after the final whistle as the home fans celebrated CBE’s win. In 2021 CBE lost in the final to Vihiga Queens of Kenya, and last year suffered another defeat to Tanzania’s JKT Queens in the final played in Uganda.
“I am very happy that finally we have lifted this trophy in-front of our fans in Addis Ababa. I thank the players and the management of the team for the hard work,” said a happy coach Heye after the match.
The goal scorer Zenaf Demise who finished with six goals said she was very happy that she scored many goals that helped her team win the Cup. “We are very happy and we shall celebrate this trophy for a long time,” added the striker.
In the earlier play-off match to determine which team finishes third Kawempe Muslim Ladies defeated 2022 champions Simba Queens (Tanzania) 2-0. Sumayah Nabuto and Agnes Nabukenya netted the goals.
The final was graced by Souleiman Hassan Waberi, the third Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), CAF Exco member and Ethiopia Football Federation President Isayas Jira, the CECAFA President and also President of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Wallace Karia. The Burundi Football Federation president Alexandre Muyenge, Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President Moses Hassim Magogo, Football Kenya Federation Vice President and CECAFA Exco member Doris Petra, and CAF head of Women’s Football, Meskerem Tadesse Goshime was also in attendance.
The tournament attracted eight teams from Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Djibouti, South Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda.
Awards
Fair-Play trophy – Simba Queens (Tanzania)
Best Coach – Beldine Odembe (Kenya Police Bullets, Kenya)
Best Goalkeeper – Annedy Kundu (Kenya Police Bullets, Kenya)
Top scorer – Demise Zenaf Senaf Wakuma (CBE, Ethiopia)
Best Player – Mesay Temesgen Tanga (CBE, Ethiopia)
INTERNATIONAL FREINDLY
Kenya Starlets Coach Odemba praises team for big win against Morocco
Kenya Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has praised her team for the good show in their big 5-0 win against hosts Morocco in an international friendly match played on Tuesday.
“I am very happy that after drawing 2-2 in the first match, we managed to re-organise and win 5-0 in the second match,” said a happy Odemba.
Fasila Adhiambo gave Kenya the lead at the Mohammed VI Football Complex after 16 minutes, and Adam Mwanalima made it 2-0 ten minutes later.
The home side tried to get back in the game, but the Kenya Starlets team defended well. Mwanalima netted her second, while Violet Nanjala and Elizabeth Mideva also got their names on the score sheet.
Odemba said that playing such international friendly matches help them build the team and give different players the opportunity to play. “We hope to play many more International friendly matches and also participate in some tournaments which will help us get better,” added the coach.
In October this year the Kenya Starlets played in the 4-Nations Pink Ladies Cup in Turkey.
WOMEN
Uganda Crested Cranes suffer defeat to hosts Algeria in friendly match
Hosts Algeria have defeated Uganda Crested Cranes 2-1 in an international friendly match played at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium on Wednesday night.
Taleb Muller Lura gave the hosts the lead after only 14 minutes after a defensive lapse for the Cranes Cranes.
But the Crested Cranes fought back strongly and created several scoring opportunities before the interval.
After recess Joan Nabirye leveled matters after 61 minutes for Uganda Crested Cranes. The hosts intensified their search for another goal and restored their lead 8 minutes later through Abdou Lea.
Uganda Crested Cranes head Coach Sheryl Ulanda Botes will return to the drawing board before the team returns to face the same Algerian team on November 30th in a second International friendly match.
Last month the Uganda Crested Cranes defeated hosts DR Congo in two international friendly matches 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.
2024 WAFCON
Tanzania to face South Africa in TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations
CECAFA representatives Tanzania will face defending champions South Africa at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2024.
The Tanzania team, Twiga Stars are placed in Group C alongside South Africa, Ghana and Mali during the draw conducted on Friday night at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Morocco.
Dr. Patrice Motsepe, the CAF President also attended the ceremony. The draw was conducted by Samson Adamu, the Director of Tournament and Events at CAF.
The other members who assisted with the draw include; Andile Dlamini, a key member of South Africa’s victorious 2022 WAFCON squad, Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda), a who made made history as the first female official to referee a men’s FIFA World Cup match during Qatar 2022, and Fatiha Laassiri (Morocco), a former Moroccan international and a celebrated figure in women’s football.
The WAFCON 2024 to feature 12 teams will take place in the Moroccan cities of Rabat and Casablanca from July 5-26th, 2025. Tanzania who qualified after seeing off Ivory Coast and Togo will be returning to the WAFCON after 14 years since their last appearance in 2010.
South Africa, the reigning champions, are among the teams to watch in this 13th edition of the tournament.
Group A: Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo
Group B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana
Group C: South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania
CAF Women's Champions League
We picked great lessons in CAF Women’s Champions League – Coach Birhanu
The head coach of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) women’s team has said that despite falling out at the group stage, they picked great lessons playing at the CAF Women’s Champions League.
CBE, the CECAFA Women’s Champions League reigning champions lost all their three group matches at the tournament on-going in Morocco.
They opened with a 3-0 defeat to Edo Queens (Nigeria), and suffered a 4-0 defeat to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. In the last group match played last Saturday, CBE lost 2-1 to FC Masar (Egypt) with Senaf Wakuma scoring their only goal of the tournament.
Heye Gizaw Birhanu, the CBE coach has made it clear that there are several lessons that his players and even the technical bench take back home. “We were playing in the CAF Women’s Championship League final tournament for the first time and several things were new to us. Playing against top sides in Africa has been a great eye opener for us and we are not the same now,” said Birhanu.
The coach made it clear that with the lessons they have picked from the tournament they will come back a better and improved side.
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