Women's Champions League: Edo Queens appeals to CAF after penalty shootout victory annulled
The Nigerian club Edo Queens has appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals committee to challenge the annulment of their qualification for the final of the WAFU-B zonal tournament of the Women's Champions League, as reported by the Togolese media outlet Foot.tg on October 4, 2026.
At the heart of the dispute is the final played on September 5, 2026, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Nigerians and the Ghanaians from Ampem Darkoa Ladies ended the match with a 2-2 score after regulation time, before Edo Queens won 4-1 on penalties, according to the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
A forgotten extra time
On September 26, 2026, the CAF women's football organizing committee determined that the shootout should never have taken place: the competition regulations require two fifteen-minute periods of extra time before proceeding to penalties, the GFA specifies. The governing body attributed the error to an administrative instruction and explicitly cleared both clubs of any responsibility.
CAF did not order the match to be replayed in its entirety. The 90 minutes remain valid: the match must resume from the 2-2 scoreline for two fifteen-minute periods of extra time, followed if necessary by a new penalty shootout, with as many of the same qualified players, officials, and the same stadium as possible. WAFU-B is to announce the date and venue in consultation with CAF and the two federations.
A continental ticket at stake
The stakes are high: the winner secures the WAFU-B zone ticket for the final phase of the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League. For Edo Queens, who had already won on the pitch, the idea of putting their ticket back on the line is not well received. According to Foot.tg, the Nigerian Football Federation confirmed in a letter dated September 28, 2026, that it had submitted the appeal and paid the procedural fees required by the regulations.
Beyond this textbook regulatory case, the affair illustrates a well-known challenge in African women's football: the sporting rise of clubs is advancing faster than the administrative rigor meant to accompany it. The CAF appeals committee must now make a final decision.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.