The Mexico-based South African duo of Jermaine Seoposenwe and Thembi Kgatlana could play in the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup that is set to start in 2026.
FIFA announced recently that they have set aside the months of January and February to launch the tournament.
Kgatlana and Seoposenwe qualify through their Liga MX Femenil clubs – UANL Tigres and FC Monterrey, respectively. The former won the 2023 Apertura, while the latter are the 2024 Clausura champions and will be joined by a third Mexican team, Club America who are the best runners up in the league based on points.
The three teams, alongside seven others in the North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) region will have to go through a grueling series of qualifiers in the form of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which will serve a qualifier for the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.
The other teams are from Canada, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the USA, with the competition set to begin in August this year and end in May 2025.
There will be three stages of the tournament played – a preliminary round contested two clubs, with the winner joining nine already qualified teams. The next phase is the group stage which will have two group of five clubs playing in a round-robin format. Then the final knockout tournament made up of the two top teams from each group.
The FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will feature 16 teams from around the world and will be played every four years.
Teams for CONCACAF Women’s Champions Cup:
| Country | Team | Qualification Method |
| Costa Rica | Alajuelense | 2023 Costa Rica Women’s Premier Division – Apertura and Clausura champions |
| Jamaica | Frazsiers Whip | 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League champions |
| Mexico | UANL Tigres | 2023 Liga MX Femenil Apertura champions |
| Mexico | FC Monterrey | 2024 Liga MX Femenil Clausura champions |
| Mexico | Club America | Best runner-up of the 2023/24 Liga MX Femenil season based on accumulated points during the regular phase |
| Panama | Santa Fe | Liga de Fútbol Femenino Apertura 2024 champions |
| USA | NJ/NY Gotham City | 2023 National Women’s Soccer League champions |
| USA | San Diego Wave | 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Shield winners |
| USA | Portland Thorns FC | 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Shield runners up |
| PRELIMINARY ROUNDS: | ||
| CANADA | White Caps FC Girls Elite | 2023 League 1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship winners |
| El Salvador | Allianza Women | 2023/24 Primera División Femenina de El Salvador Apertura–Clausura play-off winners |
By Matlhomola Morake
