Defending champions of the Nigeria Women’s Football League, Edo Queens FC, will face Ghana's Ampem Darkoa Ladies in an exciting WAFU-B CAF Women’s Champions League final on Saturday. The regional title and a spot at the continental competition are up for grabs.
Both teams reached the final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, after winning their semi-final matches on Wednesday.
Edo Queens showed a strong performance, beating Burkina Faso’s USFA FC 5-1. Ampem Darkoa Ladies also had an impressive win, defeating Benin’s FC Dynamique 4-1 to secure their place in the final.
The match will take place at the August 4 Stadium in Ouagadougou. This will be the second time the two teams meet in this year’s competition.
Ampem Darkoa won their last meeting 2-1 during the final Group B match. That loss remains Edo Queens' only defeat in the tournament.
Now, the Nigerian champions are eager to turn things around and lift the WAFU-B trophy. They are motivated to get revenge for their earlier loss.
Ahead of Saturday's clash, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, shared his confidence in the team. He urged the players to give their best to achieve victory.
“The girls are ready and good to go. Big task, no doubt, but we have the confidence that the cup is going back to Edo State in Nigeria,” Enabulele said.
He thanked Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for his support and called on Nigerians to pray for the team.
“I also want to use this medium to thank the Executive Governor, His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo, for his support so far. All we need from our fans across the country is just prayers. Edo is ready.
“We are not scared of the Ghanaian team. The spirit in camp is high; the players know that Nigerians expect them to deliver. And by the special grace of God, the trophy is going to Nigeria.”
The team captain, Uroko Valentina, also assured Nigerians that Edo Queens are prepared to beat Ampem Darkoa and claim the trophy.
She believes their journey has been built on faith and hard work. Winning the trophy would be a major achievement for Edo Queens.
“It is God and hard work that … brought us this far. We are ready. I will be the happiest person in Edo Queens to win the WAFU-B trophy for the second time. We are ready for war against the Ampem Darkoa Ladies of Ghana. It is a game of our lives,” she said.
Edo Queens are heading into the final as the tournament's top goal scorers, with 16 goals so far.
NWFL Premiership top scorer Atume is also in line for the tournament's top scorer award. She could strengthen her chances with another goal in this important final.
The Benin-based team started their campaign strongly, defeating AS Garde Nationale of Niger 7-0 in their opening Group B match.
They followed it with a 3-1 win over ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire before facing their only setback against Ampem Darkoa, who beat them 2-1 in the group.
Edo Queens bounced back strongly in the semi-final, winning 5-1 against USFA to set up this rematch with their Ghanaian rivals.
Ampem Darkoa, on the other hand, remain unbeaten and will aim to finish their campaign with another victory over Edo Queens.
This final is more than just a regional title. The winners will represent West Africa at the CAF Women’s Champions League in South Africa later this year.
For Edo Queens, this is a chance to settle the score, keep their WAFU-B crown, and secure another historic spot in the continent’s biggest women’s club competition.
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