EXCLUSIVE: CAFWCL: Herentals Queens can’t underrate opponents – Dedza

Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens have described their being drawn in Group C of the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers for the Southern Region as fair.

The Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), which will host the qualifiers later this month, conducted a draw on Tuesday.

The outcome of the draw saw Herentals placed in the same group with Mozambique’s CD Costa do Sol and Olympic de Moroni from Comoros.

Reacting to the draw, Herentals coach Simbarashe Dedza told Pan-Africa Football that all teams in the group have a chance to progress to the next phase of the competition.

“The draw is equally good for everyone,” Simbarashe said. “All teams have a chance to be the champions. It favours everyone. We don’t have to underrate anyone in this tournament because all these teams are champions from their leagues, hence, we have to work hard and fight to the end. We are ready for the tournament.”

In other groups, former champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies were drawn in Group A alongside Malawi champions Ntopwa Ladies, Zesco Ndola Girls of Zambia and Namibia’s Beauties FC in Group A.

The draw saw the rest of the teams put in three-member groups. Last year’s finalists Gaborone United from Botswana lead Group B comprising Eswatini’s Young Buffaloes and Kick4Life of Lesotho.

According to the competition’s playing format, the overall leader of each group will proceed to the semifinals alongside with the best runners up.

For Group A, the results against the team that finishes bottom of the pool will be disregarded for that calculation, COSAFA says. University of the Western Cape are the defending champions of the COSAFA qualifiers which Malawi hosted last year when Sundowns were absent after being exempted by virtue of being continental title holders.

The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA)’s secretariat conducted the draw in South Africa on Tuesday ahead of the qualifiers scheduled from 22 to 31 August 2025.

Full draw:

GROUP A: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Ntopwa FC (Malawi), Beauties FC (Namibia), Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia).

GROUP B: Gaborone United Ladies FC (Botswana), Young Buffaloes (Eswatini), Kick4Life (Lesotho).

GROUP C: Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), CD Costa do Sol (Mozambique), Olympic de Moroni (Comoros).