Gaborone Set to Host COSAFA Qualifier
The CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA Qualifier 2026 will be staged in Gaborone, Botswana, from August 20-29. Eight clubs from across Southern Africa will compete for the regional title and a place at the CAF Women's Champions League continental finals later this year, as reported by both AllAfrica and EWN.
The tournament, now in its sixth edition since its introduction in 2021, has grown rapidly, according to EWN. For the hosts, this year's edition carries added significance: Gaborone United Ladies are the defending champions, having made the final in 2024 before lifting the trophy in 2025. They now have the opportunity to become the first Botswana club to win the competition on home soil and successfully defend the regional crown.
Format and Groups
The eight teams are drawn into two groups of four, meeting in a round-robin format with three points for a win and one for a draw. The top two sides in each group advance to the semi-finals, as outlined by AllAfrica. Only the winners of the qualifier earn a place at the continental finals.
Group A contains hosts and defending champions Gaborone United, last year's runners-up ZESCO Ndola Girls from Zambia, Zimbabwe's Herentals Queens, and Lesotho Defence Force, according to both sources. ZESCO reached the final on their tournament debut in 2025, coming within a penalty shoot-out of taking the trophy back to Zambia, per EWN. Gaborone United defeated Herentals Queens 1-0 in the 2024 semi-final on their way to the final in Malawi, EWN adds. Lesotho Defence Force, making their third appearance, are determined to progress beyond the group stage for the first time, EWN reports.
Group B features two-time winners Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa, Costa do Sol of Mozambique, Nsingizini Hotspurs of Eswatini, and Silver Strikers of Malawi, as reported by AllAfrica. EWN notes that Mamelodi Sundowns won in 2021 and 2023, making them the only club to have won more than once. They beat Black Rhinos Queens 3-0 in the 2021 final, with Melinda Kgadiete finishing as top scorer with five goals, and defeated Double Action Ladies 2-0 in the 2023 final, EWN details.
Deciding Group Places and Knockout Stage
If two teams finish on the same points in the group phase, tie-breaking criteria come into play, as set out by AllAfrica: first head-to-head result, then goal difference across all group matches, then the greater number of goals scored in all group matches. If still tied, a Fair Play points system evaluates yellow and red cards, and if that fails, a drawing of lots decides.
Under 'AllAfrica's Fair Play system', clubs get one point for each yellow card shown to a player in group matches, and two points for every red card. If a player receives a red card in a match, any yellow card in the same match does not count. The club with the fewest points holds the advantage. Additionally, suspension rules: two yellow cards, unless received in the final pool-stage game, lead to a one-match ban; bookings in the group phase fall away ahead of the knockout phase, unless two yellows come in the final group game, in which case suspension carries over. A single red card results in a one-match suspension; two red cards in the tournament result in a ban for the rest of the competition. Teams may also make up to five substitutions per match, limited to three occasions not including halftime, per AllAfrica.
In the knockout stage, the winner of Group A faces the runner-up of Group B, and vice versa, in the semi-finals. Only the final sees extra time if teams are level after 90 minutes; the two semi-finals and the third-place play-off go straight to penalties, explains AllAfrica.
Historical Context and Records
The competition has a rich history, EWN reports. Gaborone United are only the fourth different club to win the COSAFA qualifier, having drawn 1-1 with ZESCO Ndola Girls in the 2025 final before winning 4-3 on penalties. The 2022 edition saw Green Buffaloes win on penalties 6-5 after a goalless draw following extra time. The 2024 final, staged in Malawi, saw UWC beat Gaborone United 9-8 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Statistics from EWN's coverage highlight the tournament's growth: across the first five editions, 221 goals were scored, an average of 3.35 per match. The 2025 edition was the most prolific with 63 goals in 15 matches, an average 4.6 goals per game. The biggest victory was Gaborone United's 10-1 win over Kick4Life in 2025, with Gaonyadiwe Oxide scoring five goals in that match, and she now holds the all-time record of 11 goals. Mamelodi Sundowns have been dominant, playing 17 matches, winning 14, drawing two, and losing one in regulation. Their only regulation defeat came against ZESCO in the 2025 semi-final, EWN notes. Four clubs have reached the continental stage through the qualifier: Sundowns, Green Buffaloes, UWC Ladies, and Gaborone United. Sundowns have also won the continental Champions League twice, in 2021 and 2023, per EWN.
As the tournament kicks off, the eyes of Southern Africa will be on Gaborone, with the defending champions aiming for history and the experienced Sundowns looking to reassert their authority.