African football administrative drama has hit a chaotic new high after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) annulled Edo Queens’ WAFU-B Women’s Champions League final victory over Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
The shocking decision follows a successful protest lodged by the Ghanaian side after the match officials completely skipped the mandatory 30 minutes of extra time when the final ended in a 2-2 tie after 90 minutes. Instead of signaling for extra time as strictly mandated by competition rules, the match referee jumped straight to a penalty shootout—where Nigeria’s Edo Queens triumphantly dominated 4-1 to celebrate what they thought was a well-deserved regional crown!
However, CAF’s Organising Committee for Women’s Football ruled that the referee violated articles 13.1 and 72.4 of the tournament regulations. Consequently, CAF completely voided the penalty shootout and ordered both teams to return to the pitch to play the two 15-minute halves of extra time, starting directly from the 2-2 scoreline. If the sides remain level after extra time, a fresh penalty shootout will be conducted to determine who represents the region at the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The unprecedented administrative blunder has sparked massive outrage among football enthusiasts across the continent, with fans slamming match officials for failing basic procedural rules. While Nigerians express frustration over the bizarre twist, Edo Queens must now regroup, put the boardroom politics aside, and prove their superiority on the pitch once again.
