WOMEN
Women’s Football finally played in Somalia
The world Football governing body, FIFA has welcomed the move by Somalia to finally start engaging with women’s Football.
On March 8th, 2024 women’s football was finally played in the capital Mogadishu to commemorate International Women’s Day with Futsal match.
SWF women’s football team, defeated their rivals of SSC by 3-1 in the maiden women’s futsal match, which fully broke the barriers that once prevented Somali women from playing football.
Gelson Vernandes, the FIFA director for member associations Africa welcomed that Somali women are now officially playing football.
“We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the Somali Football Federation for the activities organized, particularly to mark International Women’s Day. It is admirable to see such openness and to allow women to play and enjoy this sport. This initiative demonstrates a strong desire to promote gender equality and inclusion in football,” said Vernandes.
President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF), Ali Abdi Mohamed also praised the Women’s committee in the Federation of organizing the match to ensure women’s football officially starts in Somalia.
“I am really overjoyed that my long-standing dreams have become true. The futsal match was the start of a series of activities for the girls and young women who have been well involved in training programs for the past several months. Our aim is to see Somali women being fully active in the international football calendar very soon, added the President.
Ibtisam Yassin, the SFF head of Women’s football also said they are pleased that the department was able to organize a futsal match after several months of trainings and awareness workshops for both parents and girls.
“Our efforts paid off and we will continue organizing the awareness workshops for parents and girls plus the training programs, as this strategy has yielded positive results,” she added.
The head of Communication in SFF, Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar pointed out that having women’s football start in Somalia is a real sig of removal of cultural barriers.
“In Somalia, women have never played official football due to cultural barriers, as Somali parents never allowed their daughters to play football, because Somali parents recognized women’s football “the worst shame” and crime against Somali culture and religion, but after months of awareness workshops some parents have allowed their daughters to play the game,” added Abokar.
He also made it clear that now the awareness workshops are part of the SFF strategy to develop women’s football and overcome the cultural barriers that once prevented Somali women getting the opportunity to play the game.
The Tanzanite Queens have suffered their second defeat at the on-going FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Poland.
After losing 4-1 to Brazil in their opening Group B match, Tanzania suffered a 5-1 defeat to England in a match played on Tuesday at the Bielsko-Biala Stadium.
Skipper Jamila Mnunduka netted Tanzania’s only goal after 65 minutes. Rachel Maltby scored a hattrick, while Princess Ademiluyi and Jessie Gale also scored for the for the Young Lionesses.
“We did not handle the match well. But we need to try and win our last match against Canada,” said the Tanzania coach Bakari Nyundo Shime.
Brazil who have already collected two wins are already through to the knock-out stage, while last group B matches will be played on September 11th.
Tanzania will face Canada in their last group match.
Tanzania have made a losing start at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026 in Poland.
The Tanzanite Queens suffered a 4-1 Group B defeat to Brazil in a match played on Saturday at the Bielsko-Biala Stadium.
Thaynara Cristina Vieira Neres gave Brazil the lead after 14 minutes, but Winfrida Hurbert Garald leveled matters from a penalty after 39 minutes for the Tanzanite Queens.
Tanzania tried to contain the Brazil team, but failed to hold the midfield as the opponents attacked in numbers. Evelin Nascimento netted a brace, while a Maria Vitoria Sales also had her name on the score sheet.
Bakari Nyundo Shime, the Tanzania head coach said after defeat in the opening match, they must now come back strongly in their second match against England on September 8th.
The England team settled for a 1-1 draw against Canada in another Group B played on Saturday. The 24 teams FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup that started today will climax on September 27th, 2026.
CAF WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIERS
CBE’s Emush nets six to scoop top scorer’s Award in Zonal qualifiers
Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) forward Emush Daniel Dandamo has scooped the top scorer’s Award at the just concluded 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers.
Emush who helped CBE finish third netted a record six goals in the Zonal qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
She received the Award from Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) Second Vice President in-charge of Technical Development, Richard Mugisha.
Agnes Nabukenya who captained Kawempe Muslim Ladies to lift the Cup after a 1-0 win against Kenya Police Bullets FC was voted Best Player of the tournament, and her teammate Saidah Namwanje voted Best Goalkeeper.
Yei Joint Stars FC from South Sudan and finished fourth in the tournament picked the Fair Play Award.
CAF WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIERS
Kawempe Muslim Ladies win CAF Zonal Women’s Champions League 2026 qualifiers
Kawempe Muslim Ladies are the winners of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA 2026 qualifiers.
The Ugandan reigning women’s champions defeated Kenya Police Bullets 1-0 in a hard fought final played at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Monday evening.
After several missed scoring opportunities in a match they dominated, Kawempe Muslim Ladies scored in the 100th minute through Agnes Nabukenya.
The match had ended goalless after the allotted 90 minutes, but the Ugandan team struck in the 10th minute of the first half of added time.
The towering forward made no mistake finishing from close range past Kenya Police Bullets’ goalkeeper Anndy Kundu.
Kenya Police Bullets, the 2024 runners-up tried to fight back to level matters and take the match to penalty shoot-outs, but failed.
It was all celebration for the Ugandan team after the final whistle. “I thank the players for the hard work and finally winning this trophy,” said a happy Kawempe Muslim Ladies head coach Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi after the final.
Nabukenya, the team captain and scorer of the lone goal praised her teammates for the hard work which saw them win all their four matches in the tournament.
In the play-off match Commercial Bank of Ethiopia defeated Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan) 6-1.
Etsegenet Girma gave the Ethiopian side the lead after 34 minutes, but Moureen Nankinga was quick to level matters for Yei Joint Stars three minutes later. Beshadu Tadese scored late to give CBE a 2-1 lead going into the break.
After recess Yei Joint Stars FC tried to push forward, but failed to find the goals. CBE netted more goals through Mahelet Bekel, Emush Dandamo, Mihiret Ayele and Rediet Matios to win 6-1.
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