BREAKING NEWS: From champions to heartbreak! Edo Queens lose their ticket to the CAF Champions League against Ampem Darkoa after a controversial final

In a shocking reversal of fortune, Nigeria’s Edo Queens have had their hopes of playing in the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League shattered after Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory in the rescheduled WAFU Zone B qualifying final in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday, October 29, Sports247.ng reports.

What makes the defeat particularly painful is that Edo Queens had already celebrated winning the regional title after a 4-1 penalty shootout victory over their Ghanaian opponents in September, only for the result to be overturned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Read also: Ezinne questions responsibility for CAF final replay in Edo Queens | Sports247 Nigeria

Thursday’s extraordinary conclusion ended a qualification dispute that had raged for almost two months, transforming what initially looked like a historic success for the Nigerian team into a devastating continental setback.

The original final, played on September 5 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ended 2-2 after regulation time. Edo Queens subsequently won the penalty shoot-out 4-1, seemingly securing their place in Africa’s premier women’s club competition.

However, Ampem Darkoa protested the decision to go straight to penalties without playing the mandatory 30 minutes of extra time.

CAF confirmed the protest on September 26 and ruled that the match referees had not respected the competition regulations. The governing body subsequently overturned the result of the penalty shootout, while its Appeals Board confirmed that decision on 16 October.

Consequently, both teams were ordered to reconvene in Cairo to play only the remaining 30 minutes, starting with the score set at 2-2.

Ampem Darkoa took advantage of their second chance, scoring the decisive goal to earn a 3-2 victory and secure the qualification ticket for WAFU Zone B.

The result means that Ghana’s champions will compete in the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, scheduled to be held in Egypt from November 1-15.

They are expected to join Moroccan giants AS FAR, USFAS Bamako of Mali and Kawempe Muslim Ladies of Uganda in Group B.

For Edo Queens, the defeat represents a particularly bitter elimination, having initially secured qualification on the field before a procedural error by the referees reopened the match.

For Ampem Darkoa, meanwhile, the result completes a remarkable turnaround, vindicating their decision to challenge the original result and earning them a return to Africa’s elite women’s club competition.