JKT Queens of Tanzania have been crowned champions of the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers, held at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. They secured their second CECAFA title by defeating Rwanda’s Rayon Sports Women 1-0 in the final, with Winfrida Gerald scoring the winning goal in the 5th minute.
In the third-place playoff played on the same day, Kenya Police Bullets edged out Kampala Queens 1-0, thanks to Margret Kunihira’s 26th-minute free-kick goal, earning them the bronze medal.
Tournament Highlights and Individual Awards:
– Top Scorer: Jamila Rajab (JKT Queens) – 5 goals
– Average Goals per Match: 2.31 goals (30 goals in 13 games)
– Most Valuable Player: Donisia Minja (JKT Queens)
– Best Goalkeeper: Najiati Idrisa Abbas (JKT Queens) – conceded only one goal and kept three clean sheets in four matches
JKT Queens’ Match Results:
– JKU Princess: JKT Queens won 5-0
– Yei Joint Stars: JKT Queens won 2-0
– Kenya Police Bullets (Semi-final): JKT Queens won 2-4 in penalty shootouts after drawing 1-1
– Rayon Sports Women (Final): JKT Queens won 1-0
Jamila Rajab was instrumental in JKT Queens’ success, scoring crucial goals throughout the tournament. Her hat-trick against JKU Princess and goals against Yei Joint Stars and Kenya Police Bullets helped JKT Queens secure their spot in the final hence winning the title. With this victory, JKT Queens becomes the most successful team in the CECAFA Champions League, having now lifted the trophy twice.
This will be JKT Queens’ second appearance in the CAF Women’s Champions League. In their previous appearance in 2023, they were eliminated in the group stages, winning one game and losing two. They will be looking to make a stronger impact in the tournament this time around, building on their experience and lessons learned from their previous appearance.
*CAF Women’s Champions League Teams:*
The following teams have already qualified for the CAF Women’s Champions League:
– *COSAFA:* Gaborone United (Botswana)
– *WAFU A:* USFAS Bamako (Mali)
– *WAFU B:* ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)
– *UNAF:* ASFAR (Morocco)
– *Defending Champions:* TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Two slots remain to be filled:
– *UNIFFAC:* To be determined
– *Hosts:* To be determined
The stage is set for an exciting CAF Women’s Champions League tournament! The competition promises to be intense, with top teams from across Africa vying for the coveted title. JKT Queens will be looking to make a strong impression and bring glory to Tanzania.
