The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved replacement players for Edo Queens ahead of the resumption of their WAFU-B qualifying final against Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies, with Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Oluebube Umejiaku remaining with Nigeria’s Flamingos in Morocco.

The decision resolves the immediate selection challenge facing the Nigerian champions as they prepare for Thursday’s decisive encounter in Cairo, Egypt, while Adegbuyi and Umejiaku continue their campaign at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

SavidNews can confirm, CAF approved the replacements because both youngsters are currently representing Nigeria at the global youth tournament, where the Flamingos are scheduled to face Mexico in the Round of 16 on Thursday, October 29. Kick-off is 4pm Nigerian time.  

Edo Queens, meanwhile, are scheduled to resume their outstanding WAFU-B qualifying final against Ampem Darkoa at the Canal Old Stadium in Cairo, with kick-off fixed for noon.

The clash of fixtures means the two players cannot be available for both assignments on the same day, forcing Edo Queens to make alternative arrangements for the crucial regional final.  

Adegbuyi and Umejiaku have been influential in the Flamingos’ campaign, with both players scoring in Nigeria’s 3-1 group-stage victory over defending champions Korea DPR.

Adegbuyi has also attracted attention for her performances at club and international youth level, while Umejiaku has demonstrated her attacking threat during Nigeria’s World Cup campaign.

Their continued presence gives head coach Hakeem Busari additional options as the Flamingos pursue a quarter-final place against Mexico.

CAF’s approval of replacements provides Edo Queens an opportunity to concentrate on completing the outstanding contest against Ampem Darkoa without waiting for the two teenagers to return from Morocco.

The final resumes from the beginning of extra time with the score tied at 2-2, following CAF’s decision to annul Edo Queens’ initial 4-1 penalty-shootout victory in the September 5 encounter in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.  

The ruling followed a protest by Ampem Darkoa, who argued that the match should have proceeded to two 15-minute periods of extra time before penalties were used to determine the winner.

CAF’s Appeal Board upheld the decision on October 16, directing both teams to play the outstanding 30 minutes. If the score remains level after extra time, a fresh penalty shoot-out will determine the winner.  

The Nigeria Football Federation had appealed the original decision on behalf of Edo Queens, but the appeal was unsuccessful.

The WAFU-B final therefore remains unresolved, with both clubs required to settle the contest on the pitch to determine which team will represent the zone at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League.

The winner will join Group B of the continental competition alongside Mali’s USFAS Bamako, Morocco’s AS FAR and Uganda’s Kawempe Muslim Ladies. The tournament is scheduled to run in Egypt from November 1 to 15.  

With CAF approving the replacements, Edo Queens can proceed with their preparations for the resumption, while Adegbuyi and Umejiaku remain focused on helping Nigeria progress at the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The two assignments underline the growing overlap between club and international commitments in women’s football, particularly when youth internationals are also important members of senior club squads.