Just days after hosting a successful CECAFA Kagame Cup, Kigali is set to welcome East and Central Africa’s top women’s clubs for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers, scheduled for August 21-31.
The qualifiers will be staged in Rwanda for the first time, Rayon Sports WFC representing the hosts, joining nine other participating clubs from across the region.
All matches will be played at Kigali Pelé Stadium.
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The Rwandan champions head into the competition with valuable experience after finishing runners-up in the 2025 edition in Kenya.
Times Sport breaks down everything you need to know ahead of the tournament.
The format
The 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers will feature a group stage followed by the knockout rounds.
Ten clubs representing 10 CECAFA member associations will compete in three groups. The three group winners and the best second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals.
The semi-final winners will then meet in the final to determine the CECAFA regional champion.
The groups are as follows:
Group A: Rayon Sports (Rwanda), Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan), Mafunzo (Zanzibar)
Group B: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (Ethiopia), Kawempe Muslim (Uganda), FC UJECO (Djibouti)
Group C: Simba Queens (Tanzania), Kenya Police Bullets (Kenya), Top Girls Academy (Burundi)
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Rwanda’s record in the competition
Rwanda has participated in the CECAFA qualifiers since 2022, but no Rwandan club has yet qualified for the CAF Women’s Champions League finals through the regional route.
AS Kigali WFC were the first Rwandan club to participate in the qualifiers. They reached the semi-finals in 2022, where they suffered a 5-1 defeat to eventual champions Simba Queens. AS Kigali then lost 3-1 to Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in the third-place play-off to finish fourth.
AS Kigali returned for the 2023 edition but failed to progress from the group stage.
Rayon Sports WFC took over as Rwanda’s representatives in 2024. The Blues also failed to advance from the group stage in their first appearance before making a significant improvement in 2025.
Rayon Sports reached the final last year, where they lost to JKT Queens to finish runners-up. That remains the best performance by a Rwandan club in the competition.
What do champions get?
The winner of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers earns the region’s sole ticket to the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League group stage.
The CECAFA champions will join the other five zonal champions from across Africa — WAFU Zone A, WAFU Zone B, COSAFA, UNAF and UNIFFAC — at the continental tournament.
Only one club from the CECAFA region will therefore advance to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
For Rayon Sports, winning the tournament in Kigali would make history by becoming the first Rwandan club to qualify for the continental competition through the CECAFA route.
There is currently no official prize-money package for this tournament.
How to follow the matches
No official broadcaster has so far been confirmed for the 2026 qualifiers. However, negotiations with potential broadcasters, including Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) and Azam TV, are underway, according to a source from the Rwanda FA.