Women’s Champions League: Masar exact revenge on FUS Rabat and move top

In their second match of the CAF Women’s Champions League group stage, FC Masar beat FUS Rabat 3-0 in Ismailia on Wednesday 4 November. Jentrix Shikangwa scored the first two goals, before Aissatou Ba completed the scoring. The victory carries extra significance given their recent rivalry: in September, FUS beat Masar 3-1 in the North African qualifiers. But the Egyptian side’s win does not yet settle the race for the semi-finals: the final round of the group is still to come.

Revenge turned into a group-stage advantage

The result, confirmed in the Confederation of African Football’s report, puts Masar top of Group A ahead of the final round. The same source provides the timeline: Shikangwa opened the scoring in the 15th minute, then doubled the lead in the 74th; Ba scored the third goal five minutes later. These details give the victory immediate significance, but do not justify presenting qualification as already secured.

The September meeting makes this turnaround particularly striking. In the North African Union tournament in Tunis, FUS beat Masar 3-1 and claimed the regional spot, while the Egyptian club reached the final stage as the host nation’s representative. CAF recalled this head-to-head in its preview of the 4 November match. Masar therefore did more than take three points: the team responded on the pitch against an opponent that had finished ahead of them in qualifying.

Shikangwa, the focal point of a more direct attack

The brace underlines the importance of the Zambian forward to Masar’s campaign. CAF had already singled her out among her team’s goalscorers in qualifying, where she scored against ASF Sousse and CF Akbou. This consistency adds context to her performance, but is not enough to conclude that she alone explains the result: the official report also credits Ba with the assist for the second goal, before she scored herself in the 79th minute.

The contrast with the opening match is also notable. On 1 November, Masar were held to a 0-0 draw by Mamelodi Sundowns. In its preview of that match, CAF said the Egyptian side had not hit a single shot on target and that their goalkeeper Habiba Sabry had made four saves. Two days later, Masar found the net three times against FUS. The comparison suggests improved attacking efficiency; without detailed data published in the sources consulted for the 4 November match, however, it does not allow that change to be attributed to a specific tactical adjustment.

A tight group campaign, not a final verdict

Both teams came into this second round on one point each after their opening draws: Masar against Sundowns, and FUS against Lekié Football Filles. The context made the result important, but each club still has one match to play. CAF’s preview noted that the top two teams in the group qualify for the semi-finals, so the standings can still change before the group stage ends.

FUS, who are making their first appearance in the final stage, entered the tournament after winning all three of their regional qualifying matches. This defeat does not erase that achievement or the challenge of adapting to a continental final stage. It does, however, put them under pressure ahead of their final match, while Masar can approach that fixture with a standings advantage. CAF noted that the Moroccan club had held Lekié to a goalless draw in their opening match, in which goalkeeper Hasnae Ouhatte made five saves. Here, the defence could not withstand the Egyptian side’s second-half attacking spell.

Masar make the most of their experience; FUS must respond

The victory is also part of a broader club trajectory. Masar are appearing in the final stage for the third consecutive edition; the club finished third in 2024 and fourth in 2025. Before the tournament, CAF recorded seven group-stage matches without defeat for the Egyptians, but also just one win in their last eight matches in the final stage. The 4 November win is therefore a sign of renewed momentum in the competition, not a guarantee that they will match or improve on their best finish.

For FUS, the immediate challenge is to turn their successful qualifying campaign into points on the final day. The Moroccan side beat Masar 3-1 in September, but the group-stage match showed that results in a qualifying tournament do not automatically carry over to the final stage. Conversely, the Egyptian club made use of their status as hosts and their familiarity with the tournament to take the initiative in a direct contest. These are contextual factors, not a complete explanation of the match.

The final round will decide

CAF places the tournament in Ismailia and has scheduled the final for 15 November; the group stage still has to determine the four semi-finalists. Masar now have a sporting and psychological advantage after putting their qualifying defeat by FUS behind them. The club will nevertheless need to confirm their form in their final match to turn this result into qualification.

For FUS Rabat, the margin for error has narrowed: they need to respond in their next match and will also depend on how the group develops. The measured conclusion at this stage is therefore that Masar have taken the lead and secured a clear win, but neither team’s fate has yet been definitively decided. The available sources confirm the score, the goalscorers and the group context; they do not yet provide enough match detail for a full tactical analysis.