The 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League is off and running in host country Morocco for the competition’s second edition with more prestige and the added incentive of prize money on the line. Zambian club Green Buffaloes, who shook things up with a surprise victory over 2021 CAFWCL champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the COSAFA regional qualifying final, established themselves as a favorite to advance from Group A with a dominant 4-0 victory over Liberian club Determine Girls FC while host club ASFAR also took three points from their opening match.
Maweta Chilenga and Natasha Nanyangwe scored in the opening half hour to put Buffaloes up before Hellen Chanda made it 3-0 a minute later. Zambia national team midfielder Ireen Lungu earned the Woman of the Match award for assisting Chilenga and Nanyangwe’s goals before wrapping up the scoring herself in the second half.
Buffaloes will face ASFAR in a highly anticipated second Group A fixture after the hosts edged CECAFA region qualifiers Simba Queens of Tanzania. Fourteen members of the Royal Army club were on the Moroccan team who finished runners-up at the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations but Simba proved to be more than worthy competition. ASFAR eventually seized control of the match after a sluggish start and Ibtissam Jraidi’s 67th minute header from a Ghizlane Chhiri cross was enough for the Moroccan club to get their campaign off to a positive start.
Highlights from both of Sunday’s matches are below.
Scores
Group A
ASFAR (Morocco) 1-0 Simba Queens (Tanzania)
Green Buffaloes (Zambia) 4-0 Determine Girls (Liberia)
Highlights
ASFAR 1-0 Simba Queens
Green Buffaloes 4-0 Determine Girls
