Top 10 Women’s Football Leagues in Africa

In Summary

• Since the CAF Women’s Champions League launch in 2020, African women’s leagues have grown in professionalism, visibility, and competitiveness.
• From Nigeria’s NWFL Premiership and South Africa’s Hollywoodbets Super League to Morocco’s Botola Féminine, leagues across the continent are producing world-class talent.
• Players like Asisat Oshoala and Barbra Banda are proving that Africa’s women’s leagues can nurture talent capable of dominating at the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, and major European clubs.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, September 30—When you take a look at the journey of football in the last two decades, you’ll notice how far women's football in Africa has experienced a dramatic transformation. The men’s competitions have drawn more attention, overshadowing the women’s league.

However, since the launch of the CAF Women's Champions League on September 12th 2020, Africa has made significant progress in professionalising women's football. This move encouraged national federations to fund organised women's leagues and gave elite clubs a continental stage.

Africa can compete at the top level, as demonstrated by teams like Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana), FAR Rabat (Morocco), and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (South Africa). With outstanding results at FIFA Women's World Cups and the Olympics, national teams like South Africa's Banyana Banyana, Zambia's Copper Queens, and Nigeria's Super Falcons have proved to the world the might of African women's football.

By 2025, the continent is home to thriving leagues that are producing the next wave of stars, such as Asisat Oshoala and Barbra Banda. In this article, our focus is on the top 10 women’s football leagues in Africa.

10. Algerian Women's Championship (Algeria)

Women’s football in North Africa has been popular for a while, and the Algerian women’s championship is one of the most prestigious in the area, even though they receive less attention than Morocco’s women's league.

A notable and dominant team in the league is Afak Relizane, which has competed in the CAF Women's Champions League qualifiers and won nine league titles. They have also won multiple consecutive championships from 2020 to 2023. Other top clubs include CF Akbou, the most recent champion with a title in the 2023–24 season, CS Constantine, ASE Alger Centre, and the AS Sûreté Nationale.

The league has done a great job in dispelling myths and advancing gender equality via sports, giving Algerian women a platform to grow before pursuing an international or professional career.

9. Ivory Coast Women’s Football League

The Ivory Coast women’s football league has not received as much attention as their rivals, but they have grown in competitiveness over the years. Many players from this league have competed for Les Éléphantes, the Ivory Coast women's national team, in important competitions, including the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Some of the top and successful teams in the league include Juventus FC de Yopougon, which has won 16 league titles, followed by Onze Sœurs de Gagnoa with 4 titles and Africa Sports d'Abidjan with 1.

The Ivory Coast Women's Championship has undergone a change in power dynamics; historically, Juventus has dominated the league for many years, but more recently, Onze Soeurs and Africa Sports have won titles. These clubs have fostered players’ successful moves overseas to pursue careers in professional European leagues.

8. Tanzania Women’s Premier League

The quick growth of the Tanzania Women's Premier League has made Tanzania a new superpower in women's football. Under the leadership of top teams like Simba Queens and JKT Queens, the league is gaining recognition on a continental scale and producing players who can compete at the highest levels.

Tanzania has become widely recognised in African football due to the Simba Queens' historic run to the CAF Women's Champions League semifinals. Young girls all around the nation have been motivated to play professional football by their success.

7. Kenya Women’s Premier League (KWPL)

The Kenyan Women's Premier League (KWPL) is one of the most competitive women's football leagues in East Africa.  The league has continuously produced talented athletes who have gone on to play for Kenya's national women's team, the Harambee Starlets.

Vihiga Queens, the league's most successful club, represented Kenya in the CAF Women's Champions League qualifiers and also dominates in the league. They won the Premier League title on three consecutive occasions from 2017 to 2019. Thika Queens and Gaspo Women are two other noteworthy teams that have contributed to Kenya's growing standing in women's football.

Young talent is being brought into the league by grassroots initiatives and academies, which is raising the bar for play. With the majority of its roster drawn from the KWPL, Kenya's women's national team, the Harambee Starlets, directly benefits from this talent pipeline.

6. Zambia Women’s Super Division

Revamped in 2019, the Zambia Women's Super Division is largely responsible for Zambia's rapid ascent to prominence in African women's football. The league has become more professional and competitive, producing players who have garnered international attention. 

One of the most notable teams is Green Buffaloes Women's FC, a regular participant in the CAF Women's Champions League and a dominant force in the domestic league. Domestically, they have won a record of 12 trophies; 7 in the Lusaka League and 5 in the Zambian National Championship.

Together with them, ZESCO Ndola Girls and Red Arrows Ladies continue to elevate the league's bar. The Super Division has greatly benefited Zambia's women's national team, the Copper Queens. 

Stars like Barbara Banda, one of Africa's most prolific forwards, who astonished the world by scoring back-to-back hat-tricks at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year, were made possible due to this league. The local league in Zambia has helped nurture other players, like as Racheal Kundananji, who is currently thriving in America.

5. Cameroon Guinness Super League

Cameroon has always been a football-loving country, and the Guinness Super League reflects this love for women's football. This league is distinct due to its strong support from the international brand Guinness, which sponsors the sport and promotes it on many media channels.

The Guinness Super League features top teams like Louves Minproff, winning five titles and five domestic cups during their history. The league is now among the most competitive in Central Africa due to improved prize money, promotion, and infrastructure made possible by this sponsorship. Crucially, it has also made it possible for players to join the Indomitable Lionesses, the national team, who have regularly qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA Women's World Cup.

4. Ghana Women’s Premier League

Another African country with a long history of women's football is Ghana, where the Women's Premier League is a major event. Top clubs from the league, which was founded in 2012, have excelled in continental events.

Hasaacas Ladies, one of the most successful teams, made it to the final of the first CAF Women's Champions League in 2021, and they are still noteworthy when it comes to Ghanaian football. 

The top teams from each of the league's two zones, the Northern and Southern, compete for the national title. Players from various places can participate more widely and have opportunities thanks to this arrangement.

The league was the starting point for many of Ghana's biggest talents, including those who play for the Black Queens national team. It is widely acknowledged that the Women's Premier League produces talented, disciplined athletes who frequently relocate overseas to play for professional teams.

3. Morocco Women’s Football League (Botola Féminine)

With significant funding from the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Morocco has emerged as one of Africa's fastest-growing women's football nations. One of the most competitive leagues on the continent is the Morocco Women's Football League, also known as Botola Féminine.

The Royal Army Club, or FAR Rabat (AS FAR), is the most notable club. FAR Rabat has continuously dominated the domestic league and won the CAF Women's Champions League in 2022, making them the first North African team to do so. They also clinched the 2023 Moroccan league title and the "Throne Cup" in 2022 and 2023.

To promote women's football, the Moroccan government and FRMF have established specialised training facilities, scouting campaigns, and community-based projects. These expenditures paid off when Morocco's women's national team achieved history by earning a spot in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and making it to the Round of 16 in their first appearance.

2. South Africa Hollywoodbets Super League

The Hollywoodbets Super League is evidence of South Africa's determination to professionalise women's football. The first women's football league in South Africa to be fully professional was established in 2019 and is run by the South African Football Association (SAFA) with support from Hollywoodbets.

Other African countries are already looking at the league as a model. Its clubs benefit from sponsorship agreements, planned development pathways, and media attention. The most dominant team is Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, who continue to set the bar for African women's football and were the inaugural winners of the CAF Women's Champions League in 2021. They have also won the league a record of 7 times.

In addition to improving the calibre of competition, the Hollywoodbets Super League was essential in preparing Banyana Banyana, the women's national team of South Africa, who won the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and advanced to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup knockout stages.

1. Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL Premiership)

With good reason, Nigeria is frequently referred to as the birthplace of African women's football. On the continent, the oldest and most prosperous women's league is the Nigeria Women's Football League Premiership (NWFL Premiership). Since its founding in 1990, it has given birth to innumerable football talents who have dominated both African and international football.

The Super Falcons, Africa's most successful women's national team, have won numerous CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations championships and have made numerous FIFA Women's World Cup appearances. Prominent athletes from the Nigerian league, such as Mercy Akide, Perpetua Nkwocha, and, more recently, Asisat Oshoala, moved abroad to compete on the global stage.

Some of the top and successful clubs in the league include Rivers Angels, which is one of the most decorated clubs, winning 7 Nigerian women’s championships and 10 women’s cups. They are also notable for producing national team stars. Another notable club is the Bayelsa Queens, who have lifted six NWFL Premiership titles and finished as runner-up on four occasions. They are renowned for winning the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B qualifiers.

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