Kampala Queens' historic CAF Women's Champions League ambitions were shattered Sunday in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout defeat to Rwanda's Rayon Sport at Nairobi's Moi International Sports Complex.
The tense semifinal clash saw both teams locked in a 120-minute stalemate, with neither side breaking through during regulation or extra time. The deadlock propelled the CECAFA Zonal Qualifier match to penalties, where Rayon Sport maintained perfect composure to secure a 4-3 victory.
Rwandese goalkeeper Angeline "Pendo" Ndakimana emerged as the match-winner, producing crucial saves against Catherine Nagadya and Zaitun Namanga's spot kicks. Rayon's clinical shootout performance propels them to Wednesday's final, where they'll face either Kenya Police Bullets or Tanzania's JKT Queens for the region's sole CAF Champions League ticket.
Kampala Queens will contest Tuesday's third-place playoff against the losing semifinalist from the other matchup. The Ugandan champions dominated the group stage but fell short in their quest to become East Africa's first CAF Women's Champions League representatives.
The CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers serve as the gateway to Africa's premier club competition, with only the tournament champions progressing to the continental finals.
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