Ampem Darkoa Ladies made a flying start to their 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Mali’s USFAS Bamako in their Group B opener in Egypt.
The Ghanaian champions recovered from an early goal to deliver an impressive attacking performance, scoring five times to underline their ambitions of making a strong impression at this year’s competition.
USFAS Bamako shocked Ampem Darkoa after taking the lead in the 11th minute through Oumou Koné, but the latter responded positively and gradually took control of the encounter.
The Ghanaian side’s persistence paid off in the 28th minute when Angelina Yeboah restored parity, converting a pass from Nancy Amoh to bring the Ghanaian side back into the contest.
Three minutes later, Patricia Agyei completed the turnaround, finding the back of the net in the 31st minute to give Ampem Darkoa a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
Nancy Amoh appeared to have extended the lead in the 56th minute, but her effort was ruled out for offside as the Ghanaian side continued to search for more goals.
Yeboah Completes Ampem Darkoa Rout
Ampem Darkoa eventually found their third goal in the 79th minute, with Yeboah completing her brace to put further daylight between the two sides.
The Ghanaian champions maintained their attacking momentum, and Beline Nyarko added a fourth goal just four minutes later to effectively put the contest beyond USFAS Bamako.
Nancy Amoh then had the final say, finding the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time to complete an emphatic 5-1 victory and cap an outstanding attacking display from the Ghanaian representatives.
The result gives Ampem Darkoa an early advantage in Group B, with their superior goal difference placing them at the summit ahead of Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies.
Kawempe Muslim had earlier produced one of the biggest upsets of the opening round, defeating defending champions AS FAR Rabat 3-2 to announce their own ambitions in the competition.
Ampem Darkoa will now turn their attention to a crucial encounter against Kawempe Muslim in their next group fixture, with both sides looking to strengthen their chances of securing a place in the semi-finals.
Second CAFWCL Appearance for Ampem
The 2026 edition marks Ampem Darkoa Ladies’ second appearance at the CAF Women’s Champions League, which was introduced in 2021.
The Ghanaian champions made their debut in the 2023 edition after winning the WAFU Zone B qualifying competition.
They enjoyed an impressive campaign, finishing top of Group B to advance to the semi-finals before eventually settling for fourth place.
CAF Intervention Secures Ghanaian Qualification
Ampem Darkoa’s return to the continental competition this year comes after an unusual qualification process that required CAF intervention following a controversial regional final against Nigeria’s Edo Queens.
They initially lost the WAFU Zone B qualifying final to Edo Queens on penalties in September after the match ended 2-2.
However, the Ghanaian side lodged a formal protest with CAF, challenging the decision of the match officials to proceed directly to a penalty shootout without playing extra time.
CAF upheld the protest and annulled Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty shootout victory, ordering that the final be continued from extra time with the original 2-2 scoreline maintained.
The decision meant both teams had to return to complete the outstanding portion of the final, with the continuation eventually taking place in Egypt in late October.
Ampem Darkoa capitalised on the opportunity, securing a 3-2 victory over Edo Queens to take the WAFU Zone B qualification slot and book their place at the continental showpiece.
Having overcome the administrative controversy and a challenging qualification route, the Ghanaian champions have now announced their arrival with an emphatic opening victory.
They will hope to carry that momentum into their next Group B encounter against Kawempe Muslim as they pursue a place in the knockout stages and an improvement on their fourth-place finish on debut.
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