Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and JKT Queens of Tanzania will face off in the final of the CAF Women Champions League Zonal Qualifiers after both teams won their respective semifinals on Sunday.
JKT Queens make history
Debutants JKT Queens completed a comeback as they edged Buja Queens 3-1 to reach their first ever final.
Buja Queens scored the in just 11 minutes into the game through Teopister Situma. Winger Wambuyi delivered a well calculated cross which found unmarked Teopister who easily tapped in with her right foot to take her tally to five goals in the tournament.
The champions of Burundi held JKT and managed to lead the first half to leave more work to be done by JKT Queens.
Into the second half, JKT immediately started to search for the equalizer but Buja Queens’ defense was equal to the task until in the 63th minutes when Buja’s goalkeeper failed to punch the cross out of the danger and Donisla Minja clinically equalized.
Abdallah Stumai scored the second goal for JKT Queens with a beautiful long range teasing ball from outside the box which left the goalkeeper with no chance to save it.
With seconds left to end the game, Buja Queens tried to look for the equalizer and lost possession, JKT started a counter attack and youngster Winfrida Gerald ran fast to beat two defenders and the goalkeeper and to put the last nail in the coffin as she scored the third goal.
The sweet win over Buja Queens, took JKT Queens to their first ever final of the tournament.
CBE FC get their revenge
The second semifinal was between CBE FC and Vihiga Queens, a repeat of 2021 final where Vihiga Queens edged CBE to win the championship.
This was probably the best game of the tournament so far. Full of aggressive tackles, trickery, skills, incredible saves and runs, CBE FC shockingly defeated Vihiga Queens 2-1 in Extra-time after 1-1 draw in normal time.
Vihiga Queens surprisingly dominated the game and kept asking questions to CBE’s defense until when Bertha Omita scored the first goal in 55th minute when she caught the CBE defenders sleeping to put Vihiga in the lead.
The champions of Kenya had three other chances to stretch their lead but they were not clinical enough in front of goal.
A crazy moment came in the last seconds of added time when substitute Ariet Odong who had earlier been denied a goal for offside, played a superb through ball to find captain Loza Abera who smartly squeezed the ball past goalkeeper Ruth Aturo to equalize and force extra-time.
Five minutes into the first half of extra-time, Aregash Taddese, who is argurbaly the most talented player in the tournament, netted a stunner to give CBE control of the game and complete a remarkable comeback.
The champions of Ethiopia fought tooth and nail to hold their slim 2-1 lead to the final whistle which sent them to the final.
CBE FC will be playing their second final of the championship in three years having lost the first final to Vihiga Queens in 2021 and they’ll face debutants JKT Queens on Wednesday 30th August, 2023.
What the final means
Before the final, Vihiga Queens and Buja Queens will battle for the third place to determine who will win the bronze medal.
The winner of the championship between CBE FC and JKT Queens, will join Vihiga Queens and Simba Queens as the teams to have won the tournament, Vihiga won it in 2021 while Simba Queens are the holders.
The winner of the competition will also represent the CECAFA region in the CAF Women’s Champions League in Ivory Coast in November this year.
Photo Credit: FUFA Women Media
