Tanzania’s Luvanga scores seven as Al Nassr crush Dushanbe 12-0 in AFC Women’s Champions League

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga produced a remarkable individual display on Sunday, scoring seven goals as Al Nassr Women thrashed FC CSKA Dushanbe of Tajikistan 12-0 in the AFC Women’s Champions League preliminary stage.

The emphatic victory at Hisor in Tajikistan capped Al Nassr’s Group E campaign, with the Saudi Arabian champions finishing on five points.

Luvanga, who has established herself as one of the leading Tanzanian players abroad, was joined in Al Nassr’s line-up by fellow Tanzanian defender Julietha Singano, giving the match a strong Tanzanian presence.

The seven-goal haul underlined Luvanga’s growing influence at Al Nassr, where she has continued to make her mark since moving to Saudi Arabia. She was the Saudi Women’s Premier League’s leading scorer last season with 24 goals and also helped Al Nassr secure their fourth consecutive league title.

Luvanga opened her account from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute after Dushanbe were penalised for handball. Two minutes later, she doubled her tally with a looping effort from outside the box.

The Tanzanian then completed her hat-trick in the 39th minute, firing past goalkeeper Farahnoz Kholdorova as Al Nassr took a commanding lead.

Her contribution did not stop there.

After the interval, Luvanga converted another penalty in the 69th minute before scoring her fifth goal five minutes later. She then turned provider, setting up Rinas Al Yami in the 78th minute as Al Nassr moved 9-0 ahead.

The Tanzanian striker saved her most remarkable scoring burst for the closing stages, adding goals in the 88th and 89th minutes to complete an extraordinary seven-goal performance.

Hessa Al Isa also enjoyed a productive evening, scoring three goals, while Basmah Al Shnaif added another in stoppage time to complete the 12-0 victory.

The result was particularly significant for Al Nassr after the club opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Jordan’s Etihad Club before drawing 1-1 with Iran’s Bam Khatoon. Luvanga scored in both matches, including a late penalty against Bam Khatoon.

However, despite their five-point haul and emphatic final victory, Al Nassr did not qualify for the group stage. Bam Khatoon topped Group E with seven points after beating Etihad Club 3-1 on Sunday.

For Luvanga, the tournament nevertheless provided another powerful statement of her quality on the continental stage. She had previously scored twice in Al Nassr’s historic 3-0 AFC Women’s Champions League victory over Myanmar’s Myawady Women FC in 2024.

Her latest seven-goal explosion further strengthens her reputation as one of Tanzania’s most prominent female football exports.