Kampala Queens endured a frustrating start to their CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers campaign, falling 1-0 to hosts Kenya Police Bullets in a tightly contested duel at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
It was Emily Kemunto who delivered the decisive blow, striking in the second half to hand the Kenyan champions a winning start and leave the Ugandan representatives with work to do.
The Bullets dominated from the onset, with former Kampala Queens stars Zaina Namuleme and Margret Kunihira wreaking havoc against their old club.
The duo’s fluid attacking play repeatedly stretched the Queens’ defense, forcing the Ugandan side into survival mode for long spells of the match.
Kampala Queens, fondly nicknamed the Queens of Soccer, struggled to find their rhythm, creating few clear-cut chances while being pinned in their own half for much of the game.
The defeat significantly dents their progression hopes, leaving them with a must-win clash against Eritrea’s Denden in their final group game.
Beyond victory, the Ugandan side must also hope to squeeze through as the best-ranked second-placed team across all three groups.
Under the competition format, only the group leaders and the best runner-up advance to the semifinals, with just one ultimate prize at stake, the coveted ticket to represent CECAFA at the CAF Women’s Champions League final tournament in Morocco this November.
