Ghanaian clubs at risk of losing CAF competitions slots due to new participation requirement

The winner of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup may lose their spot in the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup due to the new requirement of owning a female club to be eligible.

In a bid to improve the state of Women’s Football in Africa, CAF advised its members to ensure they equally run a women’s football team in order to participate in the inter-club competitions even if they qualify through their local competition’s format.

The new development will make it difficult to see a Ghanaian club take part in the 2023/2024 CAF inter-club competitions because none of the likely candidates are affiliated with any recognised female club.

Medeama SC and Bechem United are currently battling to win the Ghana Premier League with an automatic slot in the CAF Champions League up for grabs.

The FA Cup will also see Dreams FC and King Faisal battle for the jackpot as they both eye a place in the Confederations Cup as well. Both teams are also yet to own a women’s team which makes them unable to meet the requirement.

Meanwhile, Hearts of Oak remain the only Ghana Premier League club to have claimed ownership of a female team with Asante Kotoko’s efforts to acquire Fabulous Ladies not materialising in the past.

Clubs that want to compete in the CAF Club competitions can, however, connect with an entity that manages a women’s first-team club.

Clubs must thus join forces with one of the Women’s Premier League teams in order to be granted entry into the CAF inter-club competitions next season.