_{Uganda Women’s Premier League champions, She Corporates will kick-start their CECAFA Women’s Champions League 2022 campaign with a Group B match against Yei Joints Stars FC on August 14th.}

_{Che Corporates who will make their first appearance in the tournament will take on the South Sudan team at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.}

_{According to the fixture released on Tuesday by the CECAFA Executive Director, Auka Gecheo Tanzania’s Simba Queens FC will battle Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan) in the second Group B match GRFC from Djibouti in the second Group B match of the day at the same Stadium.}

_{Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC will start their Group A campaign against Warriors Queens FC of Zanzibar at the Azam Complex, Chamazi on August 15th, the same day FOFILAPF (Burundi) will take on AS Kigali WFC (Rwanda).}

_{Yussuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Director says they expect a very competitive tournament since teams have had enough time to prepare.}

_{“Group matches will conclude on August 21st, and the semi finals to be played on August 24th. We shall have the play-off for third place and final played on August 27th,” added Mossi.}

_{Group A: CBE (Ethiopia), Warriors Queens FC (Zanzibar), FOFILA PF (Burundi), AS Kigali WFC (Rwanda)}

_{Group B: Simba Queens (Tanzania), GRFC (Djibouti), She Corporates (Uganda), Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan)}

_{The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has confirmed dates for the Zonal Women’s Champions League 2022.}

_{Auka Gecheo, the CECAFA Executive Director has said the tournament which will also be qualifiers for the CAF Women’s Champions League 2022 will take place July 28th to August 10th in Arusha, Tanzania.}

_{“We shall have eight teams that have confirmed taking part in the  tournament with four teams placed in each group. The Arusha Abeid Stadium and the Black Rhino Academy, Karatu will host the tournament,” added Gecheo.}

_{The eight teams that will take part include; She Corporate FC (Uganda), Simba Queens (Tanzania), Yei Joint Stars FC (South Sudan), Warrior Queens (Zanzibar), Fofila PF (Burundi), AS Kigali Women’s FC (Rwanda), GRFC (Djibouti), Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (Ethiopia)}   

 _{The defending champions Vihiga Queens FC will miss out because Kenya is serving a FIFA suspension.}  

_{On Sunday CAF announced that Morocco will host the TotalEnergies Women’s Champions League 2022. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team lifted the inaugural trophy last year when the event was held in Cairo, Egypt.}

The Executive Director of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA), Auka Gecheo has asked partners, stakeholders and governments in the region to invest more in women’s football.

Speaking at the Press conference held at the FUFA technical Centre in Njeru, Jinja ahead of the climax of the CECAFA Women’s U-20 Championship, Gecheo said there is a lot of potential in women’s football that needs more support.

“It is my very strong believe that we shall see our women’s teams in the region qualify for global competitions even faster than the men,” added Gecheo.

He noted that the CECAFA Women’s U-20 Championship has been fantastic because it has given teams chance to have as many games and those that are still in contention in the FIFA Women U-20 World Cup qualifiers to prepare better.

Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, the CECAFA Women’s championship local organizing committee chairperson also has called upon the Ugandan government to prioritize salary payments for all female players and their coaches alike, featuring in the different national women’s’ teams within the country.

She made it clear that having salary enhancements will grow football among the women faster. Nakiwala said the tournament Uganda is hosting has been a huge success with the highest levels of competition being exibited.

The regional CECAFA Women’s U-20 Championship attracted Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Burundi, Tanzania and hosts Uganda.

Kenya’s Vihiga Queens FC stopped Commercial Bank of Ethiopia 2-1 in the final of the CECAFA Women’s Champions League played on Thursday at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Jentrix Shikangwa Milimu netted a late penalty to ensure Vihiga Queens booked the ticket to represent the regional at the inaugural TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League final to take place in Egypt.

The final was also graced by the FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, Sarai Bareman, and CAF 5^th Vice President and chairperson of the CAF Women’s Committee, Kanizat Ibrahim.

The hosts started on a high and they pushed the Ethiopian side to defend in numbers. Vihiga Queens coach Charles Okere Okoth was however forced to make an early replacement of injured Alice Muderi and bringing on Janet Bundi.

But after 21 minutes Shikangwa made it 1-0 for Vihiga Queens FC. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s goalkeeper Tarikua Bargena Balcha parried back Violet Wanyonyi’s shot, and Shikangwa made no mistake from the rebound.

But the Ethiopian side had Medina Busser and Buwoli Hiwot Dengiso come close to scoring with minutes to half time.

In the second half the Commercial bank of Ethiopia returned determined and pushed forward. They were rewarded with an own goal after defender Vivian Nasaka Makokha nodded Geinore Loza’s free-kick past her goalkeeper after 52 minutes.

But the Vihiga Queens team intensified their search for more goals and kept the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia goalkeeper busy.

After the fourth official showed three minutes of added time Vihiga Queens earned a penalty when substitute Tarikwa Yakura brought down Violet Wanyonyi in the box. Shikangwa confidently converted the penalty.

It was all celebrations for the home side who revenged the 4-2 defeat they suffered to the Ethiopian side in the Group stages. “I am very happy that after hard work we have won the trophy and qualified to represent the region at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League final,” said two goal hero Shikangwa.

Vihiga Queens received gold medals, a trophy and US$30,000 cash prize, while Commercial Bank of Ethiopia also received silver medals and a cash prize of US$20,000. Third placed Lady Doves FC received bronze medals and US$10,000 cash prize.

Her Excellency, Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of the Republic of Tanzania has supported the competition with a financial boost of US$100,000.