Africa-Press – Uganda. Kawempe Muslim hope they can engage the right gears to oust hosts Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) from the Caf Women’s Champions League zonal qualifiers in Addis Ababa.
The two sides meet on Monday in Abebe Bikila Stadium full of ambition.
CBE have suffered the most painful losses since this competition started in 2021 so making up for all those tears in a home tournament feels destined.
In 2021, they lost the final to home side Vihiga Queens in Kenya. In 2022, She Corporate beat them 2-1 in the semis in Tanzania while they also lost to yet another Tanzanian side, JKT Queens, in the finals last year in Uganda.
Kawempe do not lack motivation either, but if they need another reason to keep them inspired, then it is that CBE does not enjoy a particularly good record against Ugandan sides.
The record
In 2021, CBE drew 1-1 with Lady Doves in regulation time of the semifinals then won the penalty shootout 5-3. Loza Abera scored for CBE while Fazila Ikwaput equalized.
In 2022, Anitah Namata and Phionah Nabbumba scored in a 2-1 win for She Corporate in the semis. Abera, who is the all time top scorer of the competition with 29 goals, again got CBE’s goal.
Last year at the Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru, Abera scored early but her effort was cancelled by Zaina Nandede at the death as they drew 1-1 with Kampala Queens in the group stages.
Abera, a destroyer of Ugandan sides since she first played against the national team in 2016, is not in the CBE side.
Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifah also knows a lot about the Ethiopian players from his stints at U-17 and U-20 national teams coach between 2019 and 2023.
Selection
“We feel ready to go,” he said in a pre-match interview.
His side concluded the group stages with a 10-0 battering of FAD Djibouti. They will hope they did not empty their taps but instead opened a new episode of being clinical after a wasteful first half against Simba days before.
Hadijah Nandago scored five, Shadia Nabirye got two while substitutes Halimah Kampi, Rebecca Nakato and Mary Kabacurezi scored one apiece.
Khalifa benched goalkeeper Juliet Adeke for that once after her inspid show in the 3-0 loss to Simba Queens and it remains to be seen what the decision will be today.
Hadijah Babirye was also trusted to start a career as a defender in this tournament but was benched in the last game.
It remains to be seen if it was just to rest her or if the coaches have decided to go with a natural in Sharifah Nakimera. If the coaches go with the latter, then Babirye could become another option in attack.
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