Edo Queens have formally petitioned CAF, demanding that their 3-2 aggregate defeat to Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies be annulled and a full 90-minute replay ordered.
The dispute stems from an officiating blunder during the original WAFU Zone B qualifying final on September 5, 2026, in Burkina Faso.
How it unfolded
After a 2-2 draw in regulation time, match officials skipped the mandatory 30 minutes of extra time and went straight to a penalty shootout, which Edo Queens won 4-1.
Ampem Darkoa protested through the Ghana Football Association, arguing that tournament guidelines required extra time before penalties.
CAF’s Organising Committee for Women’s Football stripped Edo Queens of the victory and ordered both clubs to Cairo to play the “missing” 30 minutes.
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The Nigeria Football Federation appealed, citing severe weather conditions forced the referee’s decision, but CAF stood firm.
The Cairo match
On October 29, 2026, barely two minutes into the restarted extra-time period, Ampem Darkoa’s Afishata Mohammed scored the decisive goal, securing a 1-0 win and a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Edo Queens’ new petition
According to Blueprint, Edo Queens, chaired by Jarrett Tenebe, reject the legitimacy of the Cairo match, arguing it violated basic sporting fairness.
The club alleges they were forced to play without receiving mandatory venue and tournament confirmations from the WAFU Zone B secretariat.
They are demanding standard match sheets, substitution records and official player eligibility lists.
Edo Queens insist the rushed continuation prevented them from fielding a fair squad, highlighting that key players, including tournament MVP Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and defender Oluebube Umejiaku, were unavailable because they were representing Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The dilemma for CAF
As the main CAF Women’s Champions League tournament prepares to kick off on November 1, 2026, the pressure is immense.
According to Vanguard, Ampem Darkoa have already been placed in Group B alongside AS FAR of Morocco, Kawempe Muslim Ladies of Uganda and USFAS Bamako of Mali.
CAF now faces a dilemma: order a full 90-minute replay under properly regulated conditions or declare Edo Queens automatic winners due to the officials’ administrative failures.
With Edo Queens previously threatening to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the dispute shows no signs of slowing.
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