By Emeka Dennar
The Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, has congratulated Edo Queens for winning the WAFU-B Women’s Champions League title in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Edo Queens reclaimed the trophy they first won in 2024 after defeating Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies 4-1 on penalties on Saturday night. The thrilling final ended 2-2 in regulation time at the Stade 4 August before the Nigerian champions prevailed in the shootout.
The victory not only secured the regional title for Edo Queens but also earned them a place in this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
Speaking on the achievement, Ikpeme praised the team for overcoming strong opposition throughout the tournament.
“The NFF is very proud of the achievement of Edo Queens. It is no mean feat, as they had to battle equally ambitious and determined teams. It is even more remarkable that they defeated the same team that handed them their only defeat during the group stage,” he said.
Ikpeme also commended Rivers United for their impressive 1-1 draw away to FC San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire in the first leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary-round tie on Saturday.
He further praised CAF Confederation Cup representatives El-Kanemi Warriors and Shooting Stars for securing victories in their respective home matches against visiting opponents.
“We are happy with their performances. We monitored all the matches and appreciated their efforts,” Ikpeme said.
He expressed confidence that Shooting Stars have what it takes to withstand the challenge of CS Sfaxien in the return leg in Tunisia, while encouraging Enugu Rangers to secure the result they need in Benin Republic to advance to the next round.
Ikpeme also urged El-Kanemi Warriors not to relax despite their convincing first-leg victory.
“El-Kanemi Warriors got a handsome win, but they should not rest on their oars. They must go to Guinea-Bissau and give their best to build even more confidence ahead of the second-round matches,” he added.
