Edo Queens retain WAFU-B title as NFF praises Nigeria’s continental representatives

Edo Queens have been congratulated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after successfully defending their WAFU-B Women’s Champions League title in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The Nigerian club secured the trophy on Saturday night by beating Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies 4-1 in a penalty shootout, following a 2-2 draw in an entertaining final at Stade 4 August.

The victory means Edo Queens have reclaimed the title they won in 2024 and secured a place at this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League finals.

Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, praised the team’s performance and highlighted the quality of the opposition they overcame during the tournament.

“The NFF is very proud of the achievement of Edo Queens. It is no mean a feat, as they had to do battles with equally-ambitious and focused teams. It is even more remarkable that the team they defeated in the final was the only team to have beaten them during the group phase of the tournament,” Ikpeme noted.

Edo Queens’ final opponents, Ampem Darkoa Ladies, had inflicted the Nigerian side’s only defeat of the group phase. The victory in the final therefore represented a significant response from Edo Queens as they completed their campaign as champions.

Ikpeme also acknowledged the results achieved by Nigeria’s other clubs in continental competition over the weekend.

Rivers United began their CAF Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw away to FC San Pedro of Cote d’Ivoire in the first preliminary-round first leg in Abidjan on Saturday.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, El-Kanemi Warriors and Shooting Stars both recorded home victories against their visiting opponents. The NFF official said the federation had followed the matches and recognised the commitment shown by the Nigerian representatives.

“We are happy for them as we monitored all the matches and noticed their efforts. We believe Shooting Stars have the quality to withstand anything that CS Sfaxien may throw at them during the return leg in Tunisia, and we are also using this opportunity to encourage Enugu Rangers to go to Benin Republic and get the result that will see them qualify for the second round.

“El-Kanemi Warriors got a handsome win but they should not rest on their oars. They should go to Guinea Bissau and play their hearts out to gain even more confidence ahead of the second-round matches.”

Ikpeme specifically urged Shooting Stars to remain confident before their return match against CS Sfaxien in Tunisia, while also calling on Enugu Rangers to secure the result they need in Benin Republic to advance to the second round.

He further warned El-Kanemi Warriors that their strong home victory would not be enough on its own, stressing the importance of an equally committed performance in Guinea Bissau before the next stage of the competition.