…As Edo Queens case puts officials’ errors, sporting consequences under scrutiny
By Simeon OSAJIE
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to draw a clear line between an officials’ error and a club’s responsibility, as it battles the decision to cancel Edo Queens’ victory in the WAFU-B final.
The federation filed its appeal on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, signed by Emmanuel Edem Ikpeme, Deputy General Secretary, NFF challenging CAF’s decision to annul Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty-shootout victory over Ghanaian champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies and order the final to resume from extra time.
The September 5 final in Ouagadougou ended 2-2 after regulation time before the referee directed the teams to penalties.
Edo Queens won the shoot-out and were declared champions, earning the WAFU-B qualification ticket for the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Ampem Darkoa later protested that the regulations required extra time before penalties. CAF upheld the complaint, ruling that the match should resume from the 2-2 scoreline for two 15-minute periods of extra time.
The NFF’s challenge centres on who should bear the sporting consequences of the error.
While acknowledging the regulation requiring extra time, the federation maintains that Edo Queens neither caused the omission nor asked officials to proceed directly to penalties.
“Edo Queens neither elected nor requested that extra time be dispensed with,” the NFF argued, stressing that the Nigerian players complied with the referee’s instructions.
The federation further stated: “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 is therefore asking CAF’s Appeals Committee to distinguish between the existence of a regulatory irregularity and the remedy that should follow it, arguing that cancellation of a completed shoot-out must have a specific regulatory foundation and be proportionate to the breach.
CAF’s ruling, meanwhile, rests on the position that extra time was mandatory and that the penalty shoot-out consequently occurred before the prescribed stage of the match.
The case now raises a wider regulatory question for African club football: where neither team causes a procedural error by match officials, should the sporting outcome already produced on the field automatically be discarded?
For Nigeria, the answer could determine whether Edo Queens retain their WAFU-B crown and the accompanying Champions League qualification place or return to the pitch to settle the final from extra time.
The NFF has consequently asked CAF to restore the original result, while the Appeals Committee considers the competing arguments over the rules, responsibility and appropriate remedy.