Vihiga Queens on track to retain CECAFA Region CAF Champions League title

Vihiga Queens’ quest of defending their CAF Champions League (CECAFA Region) title is on the right trick after the Kenyan champions made the semi-final, with a match to spare. Dispatching Rwanda giants AS Kigali Women 1-0, Queens, now on six points in pool B, are just about three matches from lifting the title once more.

Forward Bertha Omita was the difference when Queens played Kigali on Wednesday, scoring an elaborate goal in the first half to calm the nerves of her teammates. She is confident of seeing Queens through to the final.

‘’It’s a tournament and matches like these have to be taken cautiously. We may have struggled to get that goal against Kigali but we had a proper plan, and it worked. One game at a time and we will be there in the final, and hopefully lift the title again,’’ she says.

Omita was only an introduction in Queens’ first match of the tournament, a dicey contest against New Generation from Zanzibar. She admits they knew little about their opponents and that is why, despite eventually winning comfortably, there were signs of cold feet.

‘’We hadn’t played them before unlike other teams that we have here. So when we conceded first during that game, something had to change. I always feel it’s easier to play teams you are familiar with. The new ones come with surprises.’’ Continued Omita.

The Boniface Nyamunyamu-coached side however came back into the clash and won 3-1 with the aid of goals from Winnie Babirye, Ruth Khasoha and Martha Amunyolete. In the other group B clash, AS Kigali had narrowly lost to JKT Queens from Tanzania. JKT and Vihiga, hence made the semi-final after just two matches in the group stages.

The JKT Queens clash set for Friday afternoon from 1PM EAT, will be Vihiga’s last clash of the group in a tie to decide who enters the semi-final as the top. Bertha is not perturbed.

‘’Tough matches are what we live for. We’ll give it all and hopefully win. We know they also want the top spot in the group so as to get a favorouble semi-final placing but we will not make it easy,’’ says Omita who is very familiar with the Tanzanian league having played for Simba Queens some time back.

Her former side Simba Queens Queens won the last edition of the showpiece, one in which Kenya didn’t send a representative and Omita feels a lot has been packed from their absence last year.

Mali's AS Mande the first to book ticket to the CAF Women's Champions League, Cote d'Ivoire 2023

‘’It was painful to miss out on the showpiece but we are here now, and that is all that matters. We put the past behind us and work on the present,’’ concludes Omita, a teacher by profession.

The tournament’s Group A has Kampala Queens,Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan), CBE from Ethiopia, FAD fromDjibouti and Buja Queens from Burundi.

The overall winner of this tournament will fly CECAFA flag at the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions league set to be held in Ivory Coast. This will happen between November 5th and 19th.