Four-time Tanzania Women’s Premier League champions, Simba Queens, departed for Addis Ababa yesterday afternoon to participate in the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers.

The tournament, which runs from August 17 to September 4, will take place in the Ethiopian capital. The CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers will feature nine clubs, divided into two groups.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, where they will compete for the two spots representing the CECAFA Zone in the CAF Women’s Champions League.

Simba Queens have been placed in Group B, alongside Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), and FAD Djibouti.

Under the guidance of head coach Juma Mgunda, Simba Queens have been preparing for the tournament at the Mo Simba Arena. The team held their final training session on Tuesday before departing for Ethiopia.

Coach Mgunda expressed his confidence and optimism ahead of the tournament, as the team looks to reclaim the regional title they won two years ago.

“We are going to play against fellow champions. We are the champions of Tanzania, and we are going to meet the champions of other countries, so it will not be an easy competition. It is a competition that brings together champions.

“We know that, we are aware, and we recognize that fact. We are ready to play against our fellow champions, and we are well prepared. We are going to win as we are ready to compete in order to get good results and achieve our targets,” Mgunda stated.

Simba Queens, the 2022 CECAFA champions, will begin their campaign on Sunday against FAD Djibouti at Abebe Bikila Stadium. They will then face Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies two days later, before wrapping up their group stage matches against Burundi’s PVP Buyenzi on August 22.

• The Guardian.