The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly agreed to release players on national team duty to Edo Queens FC of Nigeria and Apém Dakoa FC of Ghana ahead of the rescheduled conclusion of the disputed CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU Zone B final on October 29, 2026.

The development could create a fresh scheduling challenge, particularly for Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, who are also scheduled to play their Round of 16 fixture at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on the same date.

The controversy surrounding the WAFU Zone B final began when the original encounter ended 2-2 after regulation time. Following adverse weather conditions, the match was taken directly to a penalty shootout on the directive of WAFU B, without the scheduled 30 minutes of extra time.

Edo Queens won the shootout 4-1 and were initially declared champions. However, Apém Dakoa subsequently appealed to CAF, requesting that the outstanding extra time be played.

CAF ruled that the final must resume with the remaining 30 minutes, citing sporting fairness. The decision also required the players who featured in the original encounter to be available for the resumption.

Edo Queens challenged the ruling, but their appeal was unsuccessful, with the original decision upheld. The major adjustment was CAF’s decision to appoint the match officials for the resumed fixture.

The reported approval for the release of players on national team duty has now raised questions about how CAF will manage the competing commitments of the clubs and national teams.

The Flamingos’ Round of 16 match at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled for October 29, the same day the disputed continental club final is expected to resume. The potential clash could affect Nigerian players involved with the national team and Edo Queens.

Attention will therefore turn to CAF for further clarification on how the availability of the affected players will be coordinated to ensure the resumption proceeds as planned.

How the governing body handles the situation could prove crucial to bringing an end to one of the most controversial finals in the competition’s history.