The stage is officially set for the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League/Cosafa Qualifier following the completion of the draw, which was streamed live on Cosafa TV, the organisation’s official YouTube channel.
The competition, now in its fifth edition, has reached a new milestone with a record 10 clubs from across Southern Africa ready to compete for the coveted regional title and a place at the continental finals. This year’s tournament will be held at the University of Johannesburg’s AW Muller Stadium from 22 to 31 August.
CONTINENTAL QUALIFICATION AT STAKE
The stakes are high: Only the top team from the Cosafa region will qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League finals. Previously, three Cosafa clubs have qualified for the continental showpiece:
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Green Buffaloes (Zambia) – 2022
University of the Western Cape (South Africa) – 2024
In total, 16 clubs from 10 different countries have featured in the CAF Women’s Champions League/Cosafa Qualifier since its inception.
DRAW HIGHLIGHTS
The draw saw the 10 teams divided into three groups, with Group A set to feature four teams, while Groups B and C will each have three. The three seeded teams leading their respective groups are:
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies – two-time continental champions and Cosafa winners in 2021 and 2023
Gaborone United Ladies – 2024 Cosafa runners-up
Herentals Queens – one of Zimbabwe’s top women’s sides
Group A
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (South Africa)
Ntopwa FC (Malawi)
Beauties FC (Namibia)
Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia)
Group B
Gaborone United Ladies (Botswana)
Young Buffaloes (Eswatini)
Kick4Life WFC (Lesotho)
Group C
Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe)
Olympic de Moroni (Comoros)
Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol (Mozambique)
A Blend of Experience and Newcomers
Among the seven unseeded clubs, four have previously featured in the competition:
Olympic de Moroni (Comoros)
Young Buffaloes FC (Eswatini)
Ntopwa FC (Malawi)
Costa do Sol (Mozambique)
Tournament debuts:
Kick4Life WFC (Lesotho)
Beauties FC (Namibia)
Zesco Ndola Girls FC (Zambia)
SUNDOWNS’ DOMINANCE AND THE ROAD AHEAD
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies enter the competition as overwhelming favourites. The South African giants are two-time Cosafa champions and two-time CAF Women’s Champions League winners (2021 & 2023). They boast an impeccable record in this regional qualifier — 13 matches played, 11 wins, two draws, 52 goals scored, and only four conceded. Their only blemish came in the 2022 final, where they lost on penalties to Green Buffaloes of Zambia.
Melinda Kgadiete of Sundowns is the all-time leading scorer in the competition with 8 goals, while the club also holds the record for the biggest win in tournament history — an 8–0 victory over Olympic de Moroni in 2023.
Sundowns did not participate in 2024, having automatically qualified as the reigning African champions. That year, University of the Western Cape won the Cosafa Qualifier but were unable to return this year, having failed to qualify through the regional selection process.