CAF Women’s Champions League 2024 Opener: TP Mazembe Triumph Over UWC Ladies in El Jadida

In an electrifying start to the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League, TP Mazembe claimed a solid 2-0 victory against South Africa’s University of the Western Cape (UWC) Ladies on November 9, 2024. The Group A encounter, hosted in El Jadida, Morocco, marked a historic moment for the UWC Ladies as they made their continental club championship debut. However, they were handed a challenging initiation as TP Mazembe seized three points with a commanding performance.

The Congolese side’s superior experience and skill were on full display, especially in the second half. Lacho Marta opened the scoring in the 61st minute with a well-executed finish, breaking the deadlock and shifting the game’s momentum decisively in Mazembe's favor. As UWC scrambled to find an equalizer, Mazembe’s Merveille Kanjinga Nagunji doubled the lead in the 77th minute, sealing the win and dashing the South African team's hopes of a comeback.

UWC fought bravely in the opening game, but Mazembe’s tactical edge proved too strong. The victory places TP Mazembe in a promising position in Group A as they look to build on this early success and advance in the competition.

For the UWC Ladies, this debut serves as a critical learning experience as they navigate the demanding landscape of African club football. The South African side will now seek to regroup and channel this experience into their next matches, hoping to carve out a more competitive path in the remainder of the group stage.

The tournament opener has set the tone for an exciting competition ahead in the CAF Women’s Champions League, as TP Mazembe and other top clubs from across Africa vie for continental supremacy.