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Uganda’s Lady Doves draw Simba Queens
Joy Ride. Lady Doves celebrate winning the Fufa Women Super League this year. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- Big Stage: The Masindi-based side was the first to be drawn from the only pot as Cecafa struggled to find a proper system to seed the teams for these qualifiers that precede the inaugural Caf Women’s Champions League.
Lady Doves’ head coach Rajab Buyinza has an uphill task to prepare his team for the upcoming Caf Women’s Champions League Cecafa zonal qualifiers.
The coach had prayed to avoid Tanzanian and Ethiopian opponents but the draws that were held yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya returned the unwanted fears for the 2021 Fufa Women Super League champions who are now pooled alongside Tanzanian giants Simba Queens and PVP Buyenzi from Zanzibar in Group A.
The Masindi-based side was the first to be drawn from the only pot as Cecafa struggled to find a proper system to seed the teams for these qualifiers that precede the inaugural continental women’s club tournament.
No seeding
“There will be no seeding ahead of the draws because this is the first tournament of its kind in the region,” Cecafa Ceo Auka Gecheo explained before going ahead to draw the first ball that contained a slip for the Ugandan champions.
Prior to the draws, coach Buyinza had ranked the Tanzania and Ethiopian leagues highly but stated that her team was ready for any opponent.
“I think the Ethiopian and Tanzanian teams are a bit stronger because I have been following their leagues and monitoring the progress over time. But generally, this is the maiden tournament and everyone is going for a first-time experience, so we are ready for any opponent,” Buyinza told this paper.
The top teams from the group and the best-placed second finisher among all groups will advance to the semi-final. The winner of the tournament will advance to the final tournament to be held in Egypt between November and December.
Zonal qualifiers
Group A - Lady Doves, PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), Simba Queens (Tanzania)
Group B - Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Yei Join Stars (S. Sudan), New Generation Queens (Zanzibar)
Group C - Scandinavian (Rwanda), FAD Club (Djibouti), Vihiga Queens (host, Kenya)
