COSAFA releases dates for CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier.

Malawian champions Ntopwa Women FC are gearing up for their second appearance in the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier. The Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) has confirmed the tournament will take place in South Africa from August 22 to 31, 2025, with all matches hosted at the University of Johannesburg’s AW Muller Stadium.

Ntopwa Women FC, who secured their spot by winning the Goshen FAM National Championship, will discover their group stage opponents on August 5 when COSAFA conducts the official draw. Only the winning team from this qualifier will advance to the continental finals.

This marks the fifth staging of the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier. Previous winners include Mamelodi Sundowns in 2021 and 2023, and Green Buffaloes in 2022. Notably, the past three qualifiers were all held in Durban.

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The timing of the tournament is favorable for Ntopwa, as the National Bank of Malawi Women’s National League has just commenced. This ensures the team will be in prime physical condition. They started their league campaign with a significant 1-0 victory over rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets women’s team last Saturday.

Ntopwa Technical Director, Isaac Jomo Osman, expressed optimism about the league’s role in their preparations. “The National League will definitely help the team prepare for the CAF Champions League,” he stated.

Osman had previously voiced concerns in June regarding the delay in COSAFA releasing the tournament dates, highlighting the impact on logistical planning. “We have started preparing, but not knowing the venue was a big challenge,” Osman said. “It’s hard to plan or ask for support without that information. The trip will cost around 100 million kwacha, but we’re hopeful everything will come together. We’ve done this before and we’re ready.”

Ntopwa’s previous participation in the competition was in 2023, also in South Africa.