Edo Queens, the champions of the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), have been denied a spot in the upcoming 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League after a dramatic 3-2 loss to Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies in a replay of the WAFU-B qualifying final held in Cairo, Egypt.

The match, which took place on Thursday, was marred by controversy after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled that the original final, played on September 5 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was improperly concluded. Edo Queens had initially secured a victory in that match after a 2-2 draw in regulation time, but they triumphed in the penalty shootout. However, CAF later nullified the result, citing that the match officials had failed to play the required 30 minutes of extra time before proceeding to penalties.

Following an appeal from Ampem Darkoa, CAF mandated a replay of the final, restoring the score to 2-2 for the rematch. In the replay, Edo Queens made two strategic changes to their lineup, introducing Kafayat Mafisere and Mary Mamudu, who replaced Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Oluebube Umejiaku, both of whom were unavailable due to national duty.

The replay saw Ampem Darkoa capitalize on the opportunity, with Mohammed Afishata scoring the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, effectively sealing Edo Queens' fate and ensuring their own qualification for the continental tournament. This victory marks Ampem Darkoa's second appearance in the CAF Women’s Champions League, having last participated in 2023.

Edo Queens, who made a commendable run to the semi-finals during their debut in the 2024 edition, will now miss the chance to compete in this year's tournament, which is set to take place in Egypt from November 1 to 15. The Ghanaian side will join Group B alongside defending champions AS FAR of Morocco, USFAS Bamako of Mali, and Kawempe Muslim Ladies of Uganda.

The outcome of the replay has left fans and players of Edo Queens disappointed, as they had hoped to build on their previous successes and make another strong showing in the continental arena.