By Amaechi Agbo

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially overturned Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty-shootout victory over Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies in the WAFU-B qualifying final for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, declaring that the match was not completed in accordance with competition regulations.

​The dramatic intervention follows a formal protest lodged by the Ghanaian side regarding procedural irregularities during the high-stakes encounter, which had originally ended in a draw before proceeding to the shootout.

​Following a thorough review by its Organising Committee and Legal Affairs Division, CAF determined that critical statutory protocols governing knockout ties and match completion were breached during the final stages of the fixture. As a result, the outcome of the penalty shootout has been rendered null and void.

​While CAF has yet to release the detailed findings of the disciplinary panel, sources close to the continental governing body indicate that the controversy centered around refereeing decisions during the spot-kicks and improper adherence to IFAB’s Laws of the Game regarding extra time and player substitutions before the shootout commenced.

​In an official statement issued on Monday, CAF confirmed the annulment:

​”Following an investigation into the WAFU-B zonal final of the CAF Women’s Champions League between Edo Queens and Ampem Darkoa Ladies, the Organising Committee for Women’s Football has ruled that the match was not concluded in compliance with competition regulations. Consequently, the result of the penalty shootout is set aside.”

According to CAF, Article 72.4 of the competition regulations requires two periods of 15 minutes of extra time to be played in the event of a drawn final, with penalties only applicable if the scores remain level after extra time.

The final will therefore resume from the 2-2 scoreline, with both teams playing the outstanding 30 minutes of extra time. 

If there is still no winner after extra time, another penalty shootout will be used to determine the WAFU-B representative at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League.

CAF, however, rejected the option of ordering a complete replay, ruling that the initial 90 minutes were valid and should stand.

The governing body also stated that the failure to play extra time resulted from an administrative instruction and that neither Edo Queens nor Ampem Darkoa was responsible for the error

The date, kick-off time, and venue for the continuation of the final will be determined by WAFU-B in consultation with CAF and the relevant football authorities.

​The decision delivers a significant blow to Nigeria’s Edo Queens, who had celebrated securing back-to-back appearances in the main tournament of Africa’s premier women’s club competition.

​CAF has announced that the WAFU-B Organising Committee will communicate the directive regarding a full replay or the rescheduling of the affected period in the coming days to determine the legitimate representative for the WAFU-B zone at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League final tournament.

​Both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have acknowledged the ruling, with Edo Queens expected to lodge an immediate appeal against the sanction.