Ghanaian champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies have secured the final qualification spot for the CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2026 after defeating Nigeria’s Edo Queens in extra time in Cairo on Thursday, ending an extraordinary qualification dispute between the West African rivals.

Afishata Mohammed scored the decisive goal as Ampem Darkoa took advantage of a second opportunity to win the contest and book their place in the eight-team continental tournament, scheduled for November 1–15 in Egypt.

The victory followed a successful appeal by the Ghanaian side against the procedure used to determine the winner of the WAFU Zone B qualifying final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Edo Queens had initially been declared winners after the match ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time, with the Nigerian side prevailing in the subsequent penalty shootout.

Ampem Darkoa, however, challenged the outcome, arguing that the competition regulations required extra time to be played before a penalty shootout could be used to decide the winner.

The Ghanaian club subsequently lodged an appeal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which led to the two teams being instructed to resume the encounter from the start of extra time in Cairo on Thursday.

With their continental ambitions hanging in the balance, Ampem Darkoa made the most of the reprieve, with Mohammed’s goal proving decisive and ending Edo Queens’ hopes of progressing to the finals.

The outcome means Ghana will be represented at the continent’s premier women’s club competition, with Ampem Darkoa joining defending champions AS FAR of Morocco, Kawempe Muslim Ladies of Uganda and USFAS Bamako of Mali in Group B.

Ampem Darkoa will begin their group-stage campaign against USFAS Bamako on November 2 as they seek to establish themselves among Africa’s leading women’s clubs.

For Edo Queens, the defeat represents a painful end to a qualification campaign that had appeared to have secured them a place in the continental finals after their initial penalty-shootout victory.

The Nigerian champions must now contend with the loss of a qualification spot they had celebrated before the successful appeal altered the outcome.

Ampem Darkoa, meanwhile, can turn their attention to preparations for the tournament after a protracted qualification battle that was ultimately settled on the pitch in Cairo.

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