Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls narrowly missed out on the COSAFA qualification title for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the final.
The South African side secured the title in Botswana after overcoming the Zambian champions 2-1 in the final.
The result ended ZESCO Ndola Girls’ hopes of finishing the qualification campaign as regional champions.
Despite the disappointment, the Zambian side’s run to the final represents another important moment for women’s football in the country.
ZESCO Ndola Girls have established themselves as one of Zambia’s leading women’s football clubs, and their participation in regional competitions continues to give their players valuable international experience.
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The CAF Women’s Champions League remains one of the biggest competitions in African women’s club football.
The qualification tournaments bring together the best clubs from different regions of the continent, with the successful teams earning the opportunity to compete at the final tournament.
CAF confirmed that the road to the sixth edition of the Women’s Champions League involves six zonal qualification tournaments to determine the teams that will join defending champions AS FAR at the final tournament.
For Zambia, the continued participation of clubs such as ZESCO Ndola Girls highlights the growing competitiveness of women’s football.
The defeat to Sundowns Ladies will undoubtedly be disappointing for the Zambian champions, but the experience gained from the campaign could prove valuable for the players and technical team.
Attention will now shift towards the next opportunities for Zambian women’s football, with clubs expected to use the experience gained from continental competition to strengthen their programmes.
