Our men’s clubs have gone home early. Medeama are out. Nations FC are out. The group stage “Money Zone” has again been someone else’s party.
So if you are a Ghanaian who still wants to see a Ghanaian club go deep in Africa this season, look to Egypt.
Starting today, Ampem Darkoa, the pride of the women’s game in Ghana, begin their campaign at the CAF Women’s Champions League in Ismailia. Eight clubs, fifteen days, one crown. And unlike most of the competitions we have watched this year, this one is wide open for us.
First, the numbers that should get your attention
- $600,000: the prize for the champions.
- $150,000: what even the last-placed team in a group earns. Ampem Darkoa leave Egypt with real money whatever happens, and every step up the ladder pays more.
- Miami: the winner earns a place in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, where they face North Korean side Naegohyang WFC in December. The final phase is in Miami, USA, from 27 to 31 January 2027.
Read that again. A club from Ghana is 15 days from a path that ends in a global tournament in America.
The group: Ghana versus the champions
Ampem Darkoa are in Group B, and the name at the top of it is AS FAR of Morocco, the defending champions. They have won this competition twice, in 2022 and 2025.
Alongside them are USFAS Bamako of Mali, a club CAF describes as one with growing ambition, and Kawempe Muslim Ladies of Uganda, who are taking their first steps on the continental stage.
The top two in the group go to the semi-finals. That’s the whole game, and here is how Ghana’s road looks:
| Date | Opponent | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2 November, 17:00 | USFAS Bamako | The opener. A win here changes everything. |
| 5 November, 17:00 | Kawempe Muslim Ladies | Debutants on this stage. The kind of game you cannot afford to drop. |
| 8 November, 14:00 | AS FAR | The champions. By now, the group may be on the line. |
Notice the shape of it. The two games Ghana will be expected to win come first. Get six points, and the meeting with AS FAR is a battle for first place instead of a goodbye.
Ready for our first task at the CAF Women’s Champions League.
🆚 USFAS – Bamako
🗓️ 2nd November 26
⏰ 17:00
🏟️ Suez Canal StadiumGhana 🇬🇠#NanaMma🔵⚪ https://t.co/6tBohMLDfW
— Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC (@ampem_fc) November 1, 2026
Who stands in the way
This tournament has had five winners’ crowns handed out so far, and only three clubs have taken them: Mamelodi Sundowns (2021, 2023), AS FAR (2022, 2025) and TP Mazembe (2024). No Ghanaian name on that list.
That is the real story here. Sundowns are back this year, and CAF has billed their return as a big one. FC Masar are the host nation’s champions, playing at home and dreaming bigger. In Group A they sit alongside Sundowns, FUS Rabat and LekiĂ© FF.
If Ampem Darkoa do reach the semi-finals on 11 November, they would meet one of those sides. A final on 15 November would put a Ghanaian club on the biggest night the competition has to offer.
Why you should care, even if you do not follow women’s football
Ghanaian football has spent much of this season talking about what went wrong: bad draws, early exits, structural problems. Ampem Darkoa’s job is simpler and more hopeful. They qualified as WAFU B champions, they are on the pitch, and the bracket is open.
You don’t need to know the players’ names to understand the stakes. A Ghanaian team, an African title, real money, and a door to the world stage. That is the whole story, and we will know a lot more by the time the group stage ends on 8 November.
So pick your day. Pick your match. And for the next two weeks, back the team in Ismailia.
Ghana dey Egypt. Let’s go.
Key dates
- 1 to 8 November: Group stage
- 11 November: Semi-finals
- 14 November: Third-place play-off
- 15 November: Final
