Edo Queens Beat Ampem Darkoa on Penalties to Retain WAFU-B Crown and Reach CAF Finals
Edo Queens have been crowned champions of the 2026 WAFU-B Women’s Champions League after producing a dramatic late comeback to beat Ghanaian champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies on penalties in Saturday night’s final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, securing the Nigerian side a place at the upcoming CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
The final, delayed by roughly 90 minutes because of adverse weather conditions, got off to a dramatic start when Ampem Darkoa took an early lead inside the first two minutes through Beline Nyarkoh. Edo Queens responded almost immediately, with Doosuur Anastasia Atume restoring parity within minutes to level the contest. The scoreline held for much of the match before Ampem Darkoa, who had entered the final unbeaten, regained the lead in the 74th minute courtesy of Nyarkoh’s second goal of the night, appearing to put the Nigerian champions on the brink of defeat.
With the Ghanaian side seemingly closing in on victory, Edo Queens produced a stunning late response, as Oluebube Umejiaku struck deep into stoppage time, in the 94th minute, to level the match at 2-2 and force the final into a penalty shootout. Edo Queens then held their nerve from the spot, converting all four of their penalties through Atume Doosuur, Valentina Uroko, Zainab Olopade and Ifeoma Ikenokwalu, while goalkeeper Ademola Morufat saved a spot kick from Ampem Darkoa’s Rabiatu Maltiti. Ampem Darkoa could only convert one of their own attempts, sealing a 4-1 shootout win and the WAFU-B title for the Nigerian champions.
The victory marked a remarkable turnaround for Edo Queens, whose only defeat of the tournament had come against the very same Ampem Darkoa side during the group stage, when the Ghanaians won 2-1. Edo Queens had the final say when it mattered most, having earlier reached the final on the back of an emphatic 5-1 semi-final thrashing of tournament hosts USFA of Burkina Faso.
Individual honours from the tournament also went the way of the Nigerian champions, with Oluwakemi Adegbuyi named Player of the Tournament, while Doosuur finished as the competition’s top scorer with four goals across the campaign. Saturday’s triumph represents Edo Queens’ second WAFU-B title, having first captured the regional crown in 2024, and further cements the club’s growing reputation as one of the leading forces in West African women’s club football.
With the win, Edo Queens now advance to represent the WAFU Zone B region at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, where they will face some of the continent’s strongest clubs as they look to build on their continued success on the regional and continental stage.
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