The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ordered the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League WAFU-B qualifying final between Edo Queens and Ghana's Ampem Darkoa Ladies to resume from the end of normal time. This decision follows a successful protest by Ampem Darkoa over the failure of match officials to apply the competition regulations during the original final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 5 September.
The two sides drew 2-2 after 90 minutes, but the match went directly to a penalty shootout after the game coordinator instructed that penalties be taken without extra time. Edo Queens won the shootout 4-1 to claim the WAFU-B qualification place for the main CAF Women's Champions League tournament. Ampem Darkoa subsequently protested the decision, while the Ghana Football Association (GFA) lodged an official complaint with CAF over the handling of the match.
CAF's organising committee for women's football has now ruled that the tournament regulations were not correctly applied. Under Article 72.4 of the competition regulations, a final that remains level after 90 minutes must go into 30 minutes of extra time, consisting of two 15-minute periods. A penalty shootout should only be used if the scores remain level after extra time.
CAF also referred to Article 13.1, which states that the technical criteria governing the final tournament apply to the zonal qualifying competitions as well. As a result, CAF has annulled the penalty shootout result and ordered the match to resume from where it ended after 90 minutes. The two teams will therefore play the additional 30 minutes of extra time, with penalties to follow only if the scores are still level after extra time.
CAF rejected Ampem Darkoa's request for the entire match to be replayed. The governing body has also directed that the continuation of the final should take place at the same venue in Ouagadougou, with the date and kick-off time to be announced by the WAFU-B executive committee. The winner of the decisive encounter will retain the region's qualification place for the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League.
Edo Queens were Nigeria's representatives at the Women's Champions League in 2024. Nigeria did not have a representative in the 2025 edition after Bayelsa Queens were eliminated by Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas in the WAFU-B qualifying competition. The ruling gives Ampem Darkoa another opportunity to secure a place in the continental competition after the Ghanaian club initially lost the qualification tie on penalties.
The decision is a significant development in the CAF Women's Champions League WAFU-B qualifying competition. The match will now proceed with extra time, and the winner will earn a spot in the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League. The date and kick-off time for the continuation of the final will be announced by the WAFU-B executive committee.
Key points
- CAF has ordered extra time in the WAFU-B final between Edo Queens and Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
- The decision follows a protest by Ampem Darkoa over the handling of the original match.
- The winner of the decisive encounter will retain the region's qualification place for the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League.
