Ampem Darkoa head coach Charles Anokye Frimpong has criticized Edo Queens for petitioning the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the contentious conclusion of the WAFU B Women's Champions League final. The Ghanaian tactician contends that the Nigerian representatives should have formally objected prior to the fixture instead of protesting the outcome after losing the match.
Edo Queens formally requested the nullification of the match continuation, anchoring their grievance on three core arguments. The club pointed to an unapproved relocation of the tournament venue from Ouagadougou to Cairo, Egypt, executed without explicit validation from WAFU Zone B in alignment with prior CAF directives. Furthermore, the Nigerian side alleged a failure to uphold sporting equity, stating they were barred from utilizing eligible players who featured in the initial leg, alongside grievances regarding their lodging within a military installation instead of a standard team hotel.
Why did the Ampem Darkoa coach dismiss the petition?
Speaking on the development, Frimpong pointed out that pre-match administrative meetings had thoroughly outlined the modalities for the encounter. According to him, the Nigerian team acquiesced to the arrangements by traveling to Egypt, training alongside their opponents, and fulfilling the fixture without prior dissent.
"There were a series of meetings with the WAFU organisers on how they want things to be played out," Frimpong disclosed to 3Sports GH. "They didn't protest then; they came down to Egypt and we were at the military base together with Edo Queens, we trained and played the game."
He further suggested that Edo Queens might have secured victory had the remaining minutes been concluded earlier, attributing their post-match protest to a lack of respect for standard football protocols.
"After the match when I saw the publication, I didn't want to give attention to that because they knew the organisers faulted, instead of them to protest with Ampem Darkoa, they were comfortable," Frimpong added. "If we had played the game remaining extra time that day, they could have won. Sometimes if you don't respect football this are some of the things that could happen to you."