Kenya is set to host another regional showpiece just days after the conclusion of the African Nations Championships (CHAN), after winning the bid to host the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) confirmed Kenya as the host nation, taking over from neighbours Tanzania.
The tournament was initially set to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but will instead take place in Nairobi between September 4 and September 16.
Tanzania, meanwhile, will solely focus on hosting the CECAFA Club Championship, which is also scheduled to take place in September.
CECAFA also confirmed that Kenya had submitted a bid to host the competition, which will feature eight teams.
“We are happy that the tournament will be returning to Kenya after the inaugural one was hosted there in 2021,” the CECAFA Competitions Director Yusuf Mossi said.
The last time Kenya hosted the tournament, the winner emerged from the country, with Vihiga Queens taking the crown. The team went on to represent the region in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
For the 2025 edition, Kenya will be represented by Kenya Police Bullets FC, who successfully defended their crown in the league. Notably, the team will have the chance to qualify for the CAF Women's Champions League for a second year in a row, after losing last year's final to Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) FC.
While announcing an adjustment of the tournament date, CECAFA revealed the change was to ensure qualifiers are completed before Thursday, September 18. This will allow eligible players to participate in the preliminary round of the FIFA U20 women's World Cup qualifiers, which are also set to be played in September.
Besides Kenya Police Bullets, other teams in the 8-nation tournament include Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC , Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan), JKT Queens (Tanzania), Kampala Queens (Uganda), Rayon Sports Women FC (Rwanda), JKU Princesses (Zanzibar), and Top Girls Academy (Burundi).
Notably, four member countries – Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti – will not be participating in this year’s qualifiers.
Venues for the games have yet to be confirmed, although Kenya currently enjoys the luxury of two major stadia – Nyayo Stadium and the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani - both of which meet international standards.
