All eight teams for the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League have been confirmed.
The third edition of this tournament will take place in Ivory Coast from 5-19 November 2023. Egypt hosted the 2021 competition, while Morocco welcomed the participants last year.
The hosts are using this event to prepare for the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in January 2024, and the Women’s Football tournament is seen as a way of showcasing the country’s state of readiness in infrastructure, but also to mobilize football lovers.
This will be the first time Ivory Coast hosts a Senior Women’s Football competition.
The participants have been decided through the zonal qualifiers held by each of the six sub-confederations of CAF, and were joined by the hosts and the defending champions.
Sundowns Ladies and AS FAR are the only two teams who have been ever present since the inception of this tournament. AS Mandé return for their second appearance while the other five teams are making their debut.
| Country | Team | Qualifying method | Appearance |
| Ivory Coast | Athlético FC d’Abidjan (hosts) | 2022–23 Ivory Coast Women’s Championship champions | 1st |
| Morocco | AS FAR (holders) | 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League winners | 3rd |
| Morocco | SC Casablanca | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League UNAF Qualifiers champions | 1st |
| Mali | AS Mandé | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU Zone A Qualifiers champions | 2nd |
| Ghana | Ampem Darkoa | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU Zone B Qualifiers champions | 1st |
| Tanzania | JKT Queens | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers champions | 1st |
| Equatorial Guinea | Huracanes | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League UNIFFAC Qualifiers champions | 1st |
| South Africa | Mamelodi Sundowns | 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers Champions | 3rd |
The teams will battle it out for the prestigious right to be named Queens of the Continent at inter-club level.
Sundowns Ladies won the inaugural competition in 2021 when they defeated Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana 2-0 in the final.
But the South Africans were dethroned the following year after a 4-0 drubbing by Morocco’s AF FAR in Rabat.
Evelyn Badu of Ghana was named the Player of the Tournament in the first edition, with the same accolade going to Morocco’s Fatima Tagnaout last year, while Andile Dlamini (Sundowns Ladies) and Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS FAR) were named Best Goalkeeper in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
The winning team in 2023 will be handsomely rewarded following the announcement by CAF that they are committed to make African Football competitions globally competitive.
A cheque of USD 400 000 (R7 588 120.00) awaits the champions at the sound of the final whistle in the final.
Prize money breakdown:
· WINNERS:
USD 400 000 – R7 588 120,00
· RUNNERS-UP:
USD 250 000 – R4 743 732,50
· SEMI-FINALISTS (2)
USD 200 000 – R3 793 560,00
· THIRD OF GROUP (2)
USD 150 000 – R2 844 150,00
· FOURTH OF GROUP (2)
USD 100 000 – R1 896 100,00
By Matlhomola Morake
