What Kawempe did to break Uganda's CAF Women's Champions League jinx and impress at continental stage
For years, Ugandan women's football clubs have travelled to the CECAFA region with hopes of securing a place at the CAF Women's Champions League, only to return without the ultimate prize. Lady Doves, She Corporate and Kampala Queens all had their moments, came close and showed that Ugandan clubs could compete, but none managed to cross the final hurdle.
Kawempe Muslim Ladies have finally changed that story, and the secret to their breakthrough lies in what they did differently. The Valley Warriors did not arrive in Rwanda for the 2026 CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers simply to represent Uganda.
They went there with a team built to win, backed by domestic success, experience from an earlier regional campaign, a settled technical team and young players capable of deciding matches. They combined those qualities to win the regional title, becoming the first Ugandan club to qualify for the CAF Women's Champions League finals.
Uganda's journey through the six editions of the CECAFA qualifiers, from 2021 to 2026, tells the story of how difficult that achievement had been. Lady Doves were the country's first representatives in the inaugural 2021 competition in Kenya.
They reached the semi-finals but lost to Vihiga Queens on penalties before recovering to beat Tanzania's Simba Queens 2-1 in the third-place playoff to take bronze. She Corporate came even closer in 2022 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
They stunned favourites Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) 2-1 in the semi-finals but could not complete the job, losing 1-0 to hosts Simba Queens in the final to finish runners-up. When Uganda hosted the 2023 edition in Kampala and Njeru, expectations were high for Kampala Queens.
However, they were eliminated in the group stage after finishing third in Group A, despite forward Fazila Ikwaput scoring eight goals to finish as the tournament's top scorer. Kawempe Muslim themselves tasted regional disappointment on their debut in Addis Ababa in 2024.
They reached the semi-finals but lost 2-1 to CBE before beating Simba Queens 2-0 in the third-place playoff to claim bronze. Kampala Queens returned in 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, and reached the semi-finals after an impressive 7-0 victory over Denden FC.
But a goalless draw against Rwanda's Rayon Sports Women ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat, leaving them fourth. Kawempe, however, refused to let their first experience define them.