The race for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League will return to the pitch after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ordered the WAFU Zone B final between Ampem Darkoa Ladies and Edo Queens to be continued in Egypt later this month.
The two sides are expected to resume their contest on October 28 or 29, with the regional title and the final place in Group B of Africa’s premier women’s club competition still at stake.
The decision reopens a qualification battle that appeared settled when Edo Queens defeated Ampem Darkoa 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the September 5 final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Ampem Darkoa challenged the outcome, and the subsequent annulment of the shootout result has left the Nigerian and Ghanaian champions facing an unusual conclusion to their regional campaign.
Rather than replaying the entire match, CAF has ordered the teams to resume from the start of extra time, preserving the 2-2 scoreline from the original encounter.
Both clubs will have 30 minutes to settle the contest, with a penalty shootout required if neither side can establish a lead after the two 15-minute periods.
CAF has also decided that a different team of match officials will handle the continuation. The precise venue and kick-off time, alongside the confirmed date, are expected to be communicated to the clubs.
The ruling follows decisions by CAF’s Organising Committee for Women’s Football on September 26 and its Appeal Board on October 16.
Continental Opportunity at Stake
For Ampem Darkoa, the order presents a fresh opportunity to return to a tournament where they have already made their mark.
The Ghanaian club qualified for the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League and impressed on their debut, beating defending champions AS FAR 2-1 in the group stage before progressing to the semi-finals. They eventually finished fourth.
A return would put the Ghanaian champions back among the continent’s leading women’s clubs, but they must first negotiate the remaining minutes against an Edo Queens side that had initially celebrated qualification.
The Nigerian champions will also be determined to secure their place after the original result was overturned. With so little separating the teams in the first encounter, the continuation leaves little room for error.
The winner will represent WAFU Zone B at the 2026 tournament in Egypt, joining seven other clubs whose places have already been established through regional qualification, the host allocation and the defending champions’ position.
New Era for Women’s Champions League
The dispute comes at a significant moment for the competition. CAF has introduced a new brand identity and unveiled a new trophy ahead of the sixth edition, which runs from November 1 to 15.
Launched in 2021, the Women’s Champions League has created a continental stage for Africa’s top women’s clubs to compete beyond their domestic leagues. The rebranding signals the competition’s continued evolution as women’s club football gains greater prominence across the continent.
The group-stage draw, held in Cairo on October 20, placed the WAFU Zone B winner in Group B alongside defending champions AS FAR of Morocco, Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies and Mali’s USFAS Bamako.
Group A consists of Egyptian hosts FC Masar, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Morocco’s FUS Rabat and Cameroon’s Lekié Football Filles.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals on November 11, with the final scheduled for November 15.
With the tournament approaching, the replay leaves Ampem Darkoa and Edo Queens with a narrow window to prepare for the continental challenge. One side will earn a place in Egypt, while the other will see its campaign end at the regional stage.
For now, the outcome of the WAFU Zone B final remains unresolved, with CAF’s order ensuring that qualification will be decided again on the field rather than by the original penalty shootout.
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