NFF Appeals CAF Decision to Reverse Edo Queens’ Championship Win

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding a recent decision that overturned Edo Queens’ victory in the WAFU-B final against Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies. The NFF filed the appeal on Tuesday, arguing that the team should not be punished for a mistake made by the match officials.

The controversy began after the final, held on September 5 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ended in a 2-2 draw. Edo Queens won 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out, which initially crowned them as champions and secured their spot in the CAF Women’s Champions League. However, after a protest from Ampem Darkoa, CAF ruled that the match should have gone to extra time before penalties, citing competition rules.

The NFF contends that Edo Queens followed the referee’s instructions and did not cause the decision to skip extra time. They emphasized that the players acted in good faith and highlighted that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on their part.

In their appeal, the NFF stressed the difference between benefiting from an official’s mistake and being responsible for that mistake. They argued that it is unfair to take away the outcome of the penalty shoot-out from a team that complied with the referee’s orders.

The federation also questioned CAF’s authority to annul the shoot-out results and insisted that any actions taken should have a clear basis in the rules. They urged the CAF Appeals Committee to restore Edo Queens’ victory, emphasizing that the team should not lose their rightful win due to an error made by officials.