The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has appealed against the decision of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to cancel Edo Queens’ FC victory over Ampem Darkoa Ladies of Ghana in the WAFU-B competition.
DAILY POST reports that the letter of appeal, signed by Emmanuel Edem Ikpeme, Deputy General Secretary of the NFF, dated September 28, 2026, was addressed to the President of the CAF Appeals Board in Egypt.
The letter was titled, ‘Re: Forwarding letter in respect of the appeal regarding WAFU Zone B qualifying tournament for the CAF Women’s Champions League 2026 final match between Edo Queens FC and Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC’.
The letter read in part: “Please, refer to the above appeal from Edo Queens Football Club. The Nigeria Football Federation hereby forwards the appeal against the decision of the CAF Organizing Committee for Women’s Football, reached on 26th September 2026.
“The appellant has paid the necessary fees to process this appeal in line with the provisions of the regulations.
“Please find attached herewith the said appeal and the evidence of payment for your guidance.”
The NFF argued that Edo Queens were not given a fair hearing before CAF took the decision to cancel their victory and order a replay.
DAILY POST recalls that CAF cancelled Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty-shootout victory over Ghanaian champions, Ampem Darkoa Ladies, after ruling that the September 5 final should have gone into 30 minutes of extra time before penalties.
The NFF stated that CAF’s decision followed a protest by the Ghana Football Association on behalf of Ampem Darkoa.
In its appeal, the NFF argued that even if the match officials erred by proceeding directly to penalties, Edo Queens should not bear the sporting consequences of an error they neither caused nor requested.
According to the appeal document, the Nigerian federation’s central legal argument is that CAF’s power to establish a regulatory irregularity does not automatically give it unlimited power to impose any remedy.
The NFF wants the Appeals Committee to determine whether the regulations specifically authorise the annulment of a completed penalty shootout and the resumption of a final from extra time where neither participating club was responsible for the breach.
“The Edo Queens did not refuse to play extra time, demand penalties or misrepresent the regulations to the referee.
“Rather, the club complied with the official instruction that the winner be decided from the spot.
“Edo Queens neither elected nor requested that extra time be dispensed with. The responsibility for the match procedure rested with the officials, not the players or club,” the NFF said.
The Nigerian football body, while drawing a distinction between benefiting from an official’s error and causing or procuring that error, insisted that CAF cannot, by itself, make Edo Queens responsible for the latter.
It submitted that Edo Queens, who ultimately won the shootout, cannot retrospectively have their compliance with the referee’s instruction converted into responsibility for the regulatory breach.
“CAF’s ruling itself found that the failure to play extra time resulted from an administrative instruction and that neither Edo Queens nor Ampem Darkoa were responsible.
“CAF nevertheless ordered the final to resume from 2-2 at the start of extra time, with a fresh penalty shootout if the scores remain level,” it added.
The NFF asked the CAF Appeals Committee to distinguish between correcting an irregularity and transferring the consequences of that irregularity to an innocent participant.
It further averred that any remedy must have a clear regulatory foundation and be proportionate to the breach established.
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