Africa’s ultimate destination for sports, Morocco, has again been awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.

Before now, the annual championship had been without a host before Morocco came to the rescue. It is perhaps the only country in Africa that meets the “Plug and Play” as at any time they meet the conditions to play.

According to CAF, the CAF Women’s Champions League will be played between 09-23 November 2024.

Morocco hosted the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League – the premium women’s club football competition in Africa.

Eight Clubs will contest the top prize. Winners will get USD 400 000 in prize money with runners-up walking away with USD 250 000. 

Mamelodi Sundowns are the current holders – having won the competition twice in three years.

Morocco’s ASFAR is the other team that has won the Competition – back in 2022 when they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns.

Since it’s inception, the CAF Women’s Champions League played a key role in shaping women’s football in Africa.

Morocco’s hosting of the CAF Women’s Champions League follows the nation’s successful hosting of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 which also enjoyed unparallelled success.

Six Zonal tournaments took place to qualify six teams in addition to the host and the holder of 2023 title to the FT of CAF WCL 2024. The following teams are qualified:

CAF Women’s Champions League Qualified Clubs:

Holders: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Host: ASFAR (Morocco)

WAFU A: Aigles de la Medina (Senegal)

WAFU B: EDO Queens (Nigeria)

COSAFA: University of Western Cape (South Africa)

UNAF: Tutankhamun (Egypt)

CECAFA: CBE FC (Ethiopia)

UNIFFAC: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will gun for the maximum points when they take on their counterparts from New Zealand on Wednesday night in what is the first match of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.

Although the game between the host nation Dominican Republic and Ecuador (the other fixture in Group A) is billed as the opening match, Nigeria and New Zealand will do battle at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros from 4 pm local time (9 pm in Nigeria), while the host nation and Ecuador will square up as from 9 pm local time (2 am Thursday in Nigeria).

Bronze medallists in the last edition of the competition in India, the Flamingos are aiming to go farther this time, with Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisting that he has the ammunition to overcome opponents on their way.

“I have confidence in the girls to deliver the goods at this competition. We have come well-prepared to do even better than we did in India. The Nigeria Football Federation has done everything to prepare the team well, with a two-week final camping here in the Dominican Republic.

“We do not under-rate any of our opponents. However, we will take it one match at a time and produce our best in each game in order to go all the way.”

The Flamingos have previously missed taking part in only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals – the 2018 finals in Uruguay.

In the qualifying campaign for this year’s finals, the Nigerian girls notched 25 goals in six matches, with 13 of them scored by clinical forward Harmony Chidi.

After the encounter with New Zealand on Wednesday night, the Flamingos will confront their counterparts from Ecuador, also at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, before their final group phase game against the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo. The clash with Ecuador is on Saturday, 19^th October while the battle with the host nation is on Tuesday, 22^nd October.  

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has listed Captain Taiwo Afolabi and forwards Harmony Chidi and Peace Effiong in his 21-woman Flamingos’ roster for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.

The clinical Chidi scored 13 of the team’s record-setting 25 goals in the qualifying series, as the bronze medallists from the last edition of the championship in India barnstormed their way past Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Liberia in the continental campaign.

Petite midfielder Afolabi will lead the midfield, alongside Faridat Abdulwahab, Shakirat Moshood and Ayomide Rotimi, while first-choice goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma will have Sylvia Echefu and Elizabeth Boniface pushing her to her best all the time.

Taiwo Adegoke leads six other defenders, with Harmony Chidi leading six other forwards including Peace Effiong.

Nigeria will compete in Group A of the 16-nation finals alongside host nation Dominican Republic, Ecuador and New Zealand.

The delegation of Flamingos will depart the shores of Nigeria aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on Tuesday, 1^st October for a two-week training tour in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, ahead of the commencement of the tournament.

FLAMINGOS FOR FIFA U17 WORLD CUP DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2024

Goalkeepers: Christiana Uzoma (Edo Queens); Elizabeth Boniface (Sunshine Queens); Sylvia Echefu (Confluence Queens)

Defenders: Prisca Nwachukwu (Imo Strikers); Jumai Adebayo (Naija Ratels); Taiwo Adegoke (Remo Stars Ladies); Rokibat Azeez (New Generation Academy); Hannah Ibrahim (Remo Stars Ladies); Vivian Ekezie (Heartland Queens); Ololade Isiaka (Abia Angels)

Midfielders: Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens); Faridat Abdulwahab (Nasarawa Amazons); Shakirat Moshood (Bayelsa Queens); Muinat Rotimi (Nakamura Football Academy)

Forwards: Oghenemairo Obruthe (City Sports); Harmony Chidi (Imo Strikers); Kudirat Arogundade (Green Foot); Ramotalahi Kareem (Honey Badgers); Aishat Animashaun (Naija Ratels); Peace Effiong (Rivers Angels); Blessing Ifitezue (Delta Queens)

FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024   

Group A: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Nigeria

Group B: Spain, USA, Korea Republic, Colombia

Group C: Korea DPR, Mexico, Kenya, England

Group D: Japan, Poland, Brazil, Zambia