Vihiga Queens win CECAFA regional title to secure CAF Champions’ League ticket

Gentrix Shikangwa’s last minute penalty gave Kenya’s Vihiga Queens the ticket to the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank at the Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.

Vivian Makokha’s own goal had cancelled Shikangwa’s opener but the Kenyan champions fought hard to overcome their tough opponents, who enjoyed their football but never really threatened in the final third.

Vihiga, who had lost 4-2 to CBE in the group stages, became the CECAFA region champions and will join seven other qualifiers for the inaugural CAF tournament which will be held in Egypt later in the year.

“I am happy for this win because we started the tournament on a low, but we have managed to slowly come back and the win today is massive for us. The girls played their hearts out and we wanted to ensure we represent Kenya in the Champions League,” said Charles Okere, the Vihiga Queens head coach.

“We sat down and did our analysis well on CBE and we knew their strong points and weak points. We exploited their weak points and ensured we countered their strong points and I am really proud of the girls.”

Vihiga Queens Captain Enez Mango said: “We are really delighted as a team to win this. The pressure was there especially after losing the first game but we composed ourselves to bounce back and ensure the trophy remains home.

“We are going to a huge competition and it will offer us a platform to showcase our talent and also possibly open a door for more Kenyan players to get better teams out there.”