Kawempe Muslim Set for CBE Rematch in CAFWCL Semifinal

Kawempe Muslim Ladies secured a place in the semifinals of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda, after completing the group stage in impressive fashion. The Valley Warriors will face Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) in the last four on Saturday, setting up a rematch against a side they already defeated earlier in the tournament.

Kawempe Muslim confirmed their qualification with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Djibouti’s UJECO on Wednesday. The commanding result not only demonstrated the Ugandan side’s attacking strength but also ensured they finished top of Group B and earned a favourable semifinal pairing.

Jovia Nakagolo led the scoring charge with a brilliant hat-trick as the Valley Warriors produced a dominant display from start to finish. Nakagolo repeatedly found openings in the UJECO defence and converted her opportunities to give Kawempe Muslim a major advantage in the decisive group-stage encounter.

Latifa Nakasi also played a central role in the convincing victory, scoring twice to complete a brace. Her contribution added further pressure on UJECO, who struggled to contain Kawempe Muslim’s attacking movement as the Ugandan side continued to create scoring opportunities.

Agnes Nabukenya, Samalie Nakacwa and Cecilia Apiding completed the scoring with a goal apiece. Their contributions underlined the depth of Kawempe Muslim’s attack, with several players finding the net as the Valley Warriors turned the contest into a one-sided affair.

The victory ensured Kawempe Muslim finished at the top of Group B, putting them in a strong position for the knockout stage. Their impressive goal-scoring display also provided a timely boost ahead of the more demanding semifinal encounter, where the margin for error will be considerably smaller.

CBE emerged as Kawempe Muslim’s semifinal opponents after being ranked the best second-placed team across the three groups. The Ethiopian side progressed despite finishing behind the group winner, earning another opportunity to challenge for a place in the zonal final.

The semifinal will provide CBE with a chance to respond after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Kawempe Muslim during the group stage. The Valley Warriors already know they can overcome their Ethiopian opponents, but they will expect CBE to approach the rematch with greater determination and a different tactical plan.

Kawempe Muslim will therefore need to combine their attacking confidence with defensive discipline when the two sides meet again. While the 8-0 victory over UJECO demonstrated their ability to score freely, the semifinal is expected to be a much tighter contest against an experienced CBE side fighting for a place in the final.

The other semifinal will feature Yei Joint Stars against Kenya Police Bullets. Yei Joint Stars topped Group A, while Kenya Police Bullets finished first in Group C, setting up another highly competitive battle for a place in the championship match.

The semifinal fixtures are scheduled for Saturday at Kigali Pele Stadium, with the winners advancing to Monday’s final. The losing semifinalists will also return to action on Monday for the third-place playoff, meaning the weekend’s results will determine the final positioning of all four teams.

Kawempe Muslim will now turn their attention to the CBE challenge as they continue their pursuit of zonal qualification glory. After finishing the group stage at the summit and scoring eight goals in their final match, the Valley Warriors enter the knockout stage with confidence, but they know another strong performance will be required to reach the final.