Kigali was the setting for a moment Ugandan women’s football will remember for years to come.
On Monday night, Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC made history, becoming the first Ugandan club to qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League after edging Kenya Police Bullets 1-0 in a tense final of the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers.
It took extra time, patience and a moment of instinct from captain Agnes Nabukenya, but when the final whistle sounded, Kawempe had secured more than a trophy. They had opened a new chapter for Ugandan club football.
For much of the final, there was little to separate the two sides. The first half was a battle for control, with neither team able to turn possession into a breakthrough.
Kawempe had one of their best opportunities when Nabukenya stood over a free-kick just outside the penalty area after the Police Bullets goalkeeper was penalised for handling the ball outside her box. The resulting effort, however, failed to unlock the Kenyan defence.
The Ugandan champions returned from the break with renewed urgency. Jovia Nakagolo came close in the 75th minute as Kawempe began to turn the pressure up, but Police Bullets continued to defend stubbornly.
Ninety minutes passed without a goal.
With qualification for Africa’s premier women’s club competition hanging in the balance, the final moved into extra time.
Then came the moment Kawempe had been waiting for.
In the 100th minute, Anita Namata sent a header into the six-yard area. Nabukenya reacted first, firing the loose ball beyond the Police Bullets goalkeeper to finally break the deadlock.
It was a goal of enormous consequence.
Kawempe held on through the remaining minutes to claim the 1-0 victory and, with it, a historic place in the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League.
The achievement was not an isolated moment of brilliance. It was the culmination of a remarkable campaign.
Kawempe went unbeaten throughout the CECAFA qualifiers and did so without conceding a single goal. Their defensive discipline was matched by the leadership of Nabukenya, whose decisive contribution in the final was followed by another major individual honour: she was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Goalkeeper Saidat Namwanje was also recognised, taking home the Best Goalkeeper award.
For a club that has spent years setting the standard domestically, the continental breakthrough represents another step in an already impressive journey.
Kawempe Muslim Ladies have won six Finance Trust Bank FUFA Women Super League titles since claiming their first championship in 2015. Those successes have established the club as one of the dominant forces in Ugandan women’s football.
Now, that dominance has crossed Uganda’s borders.
Their qualification for the CAF Women’s Champions League is also a reflection of the broader progress of the women’s game in the country. As the Finance Trust Bank FUFA Women Super League becomes increasingly competitive, Ugandan clubs are beginning to translate domestic success into continental ambition.
For Kawempe, the next challenge will be even bigger.
They will now carry Uganda’s hopes into the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, arriving not merely as national champions but as trailblazers—the first Ugandan club to reach the competition.
