Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira [email protected]
ZIMBABWE champions Herentals Queens have been handed a challenging draw for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers after being placed in Group A alongside Lesotho Defence Forces, Zambia’s Zesco Ndola Girls and Botswana’s Gaborone United.
The tournament, which will be staged in Botswana from August 20 to 29, will feature eight of Southern Africa’s top women’s clubs battling for the regional title and the lone qualification berth to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals later this year.
Herentals Queens will have to navigate a tough group if they are to book a place in the semi-finals and keep alive their dream of representing the COSAFA region on the continental stage.
Group B is equally competitive, comprising South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, Eswatini’s Singing Hotspurs, Malawi’s Silver Strikers and Mozambique’s Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol.
Only the top teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, with the eventual champions earning the region’s sole ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
Herentals Queens will be hoping to build on Zimbabwe’s growing reputation in women’s football by producing a strong showing against some of the region’s best clubs.
The COSAFA Women’s Champions League Qualifiers have become increasingly competitive in recent years, with clubs from across Southern Africa vying for the opportunity to compete against Africa’s elite in the continent’s premier women’s club competition.
