The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in Abuja, on September 30, 2026, formally appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over its decision to annul Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory against Ghanaian side Ampem Darkoa Ladies in the WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifiers final, a ruling that has sparked renewed debate over officiating standards and regulatory interpretation in African football.
The Edo Queens CAF Appeal follows CAF’s directive ordering the match, which ended 2-2 after regulation time in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on September 5, 2026, to be replayed from extra time, after it was determined that the game should have proceeded to extra time before penalties in line with competition regulations.
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Edo Queens had initially been declared champions of the WAFU-B tournament after converting all penalties in a commanding 4-1 shoot-out victory, securing what was believed to be qualification for the CAF Women’s Champions League before the ruling was overturned.
In its submission, the NFF argued that Edo Queens should not be penalised for what it described as an officiating error, stressing that the players acted in full compliance with the referee’s instructions and had no role in the procedural breach.
“The fact that Edo Queens ultimately won the shoot-out cannot retrospectively convert its compliance with the referee’s instruction into responsibility for the regulatory breach,” the NFF stated in its appeal, adding that there was no evidence of misconduct or bad faith by the Nigerian side.
The federation further emphasised that a clear distinction must be made between benefiting from an official’s error and being responsible for it, describing CAF’s ruling as lacking proportionality given the circumstances of the match.
“There is an important distinction between benefiting from an official’s error and causing or procuring the error,” the NFF added, urging CAF to uphold the integrity of the sporting result.
CAF had earlier ruled that the match should have proceeded to two periods of extra time before penalties, referencing Article 72.4 of its competition regulations.
However, the NFF contends that reversing a completed penalty shoot-out undermines competitive fairness and sets a concerning precedent for future tournaments.
Sports analysts have noted that the Edo Queens CAF Appeal could become a significant case in African football governance, particularly around how regulatory breaches by officials are addressed when they directly impact match outcomes.
Edo Queens, who had been celebrating what appeared to be a historic continental qualification, now await CAF’s Appeals Committee decision, which could either restore their victory or enforce a replay of the decisive fixture.
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The case has intensified discussions around officiating consistency in African competitions, with stakeholders calling for clearer guidelines to prevent similar disputes in future tournaments.
