Ampem Darkoa Beat Edo Queens To Qualify For CAF Women's Champions League
CAF's Appeal Board ordered the final to resume at two-two from extra time after upholding the annulment of Edo Queens' original penalty shoot-out victory. Ampem Darkoa will face AS FAR, Kawempe Muslim Ladies and USFAS Bamako in Group B at the tournament in Egypt from November 1 to 15.
Ghanaian champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies defeated Nigeria's Edo Queens 3-2 after extra time in Cairo, Egypt, earlier today, October 29, to secure the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B ticket for the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League. The rescheduled qualifying final was level at 2-2 after 90 minutes before Mohammed Afishata scored the winning goal two minutes into extra time, converting from a corner to seal a win for the Ghanaian side.
Naija News reports that the result reversed the outcome of the original final, which ended 2-2 before Edo Queens won 4-1 on penalties to claim the title and qualify for the continental competition. Ampem Darkoa subsequently protested the result, arguing that the match should have gone into the mandatory 30 minutes of extra time under Article 72.4 of the competition's regulations before penalties were taken.
The CAF Organising Committee for Women's Football upheld the protest on September 26 and annulled the penalty shoot-out. The Nigeria Football Federation later forwarded Edo Queens' appeal, but the CAF Appeal Board upheld the decision on October 16.
The board ordered both teams to resume the final from the start of extra time, with the score at 2-2, at a neutral venue. Thursday's encounter in Cairo provided the opportunity to settle the contest on the pitch, with Ampem Darkoa eventually emerging victorious.
Edo Queens had reached the final after beating USFA 5-1 in the semi-finals. They had also lost 2-1 to Ampem Darkoa during the group stage before suffering another defeat to the Ghanaian champions in the rescheduled final.
Ampem Darkoa will now represent WAFU Zone B at the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League, scheduled to take place in Egypt from November 1 to 15. The Ghanaian champions have been drawn in Group B alongside defending champions AS FAR of Morocco, Uganda's Kawempe Muslim Ladies and Mali's USFAS Bamako.
Author: Victor Ernest Osong is a passionate communicator, teacher, poet, well-trained journalist, creative strategist, purpose-driven storyteller, and realist. With a strong foundation in writing, editing, content development, and leadership, he specializes in shaping narratives that inform, inspire, and ignite action.