2026 WAFU-B play-off: Edo Queens Leave Benin For Burkina Faso

…as Enabulele charges team to soar

By Kehinde Osagiede

Nigeria Women Football League,NWFL champions, Edo Queens FC,yesterday( August 19,20226) left Benin City for Burkina Faso as the executive chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission Hon Amadin Desmond Enabulele charged the team to fight for glory and bring honour to the state again.

The Edo State Sports Commission boss gave the charge while addressing the players and officials of the team at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin shortly before their departure.

He told the team to always remember that they are on a mission to represent Edo State and Nigeria in the CAF Champions League preliminary tournament in Burkina Faso.

” As you leave for the WAFU-B continental football tournament in Burkina Faso, remember you are not only going there to represent Edo State,you are also representing the country as a whole. Be a good ambassador and do your very best as champions of Nigeria to deliver. Give us adequate representation and conquer West Africa again like you did in 2024 and even go beyond fourth place finish in the champions league proper.

” Edo State government is fully behind you and Nigeria is also behind you. We are coming to support you when the tournament begins in few days from now. We have confidence in your ability to deliver,so go there and make us proud again.

Edo Queens emerged 2024 Champions of the West Africa Football Union (WAFU-B),after winning the NWFL title for the first time and went further to finish in 4th position on the continent after impressive outings in Code D’voire and Morocco.

The team left Benin today with 21 players and 10 officials, including the head coach of Bendel Insurance FC Kennedy Boboye who is in the team to render technical support as the head coach of Edo Queens Moses Aduku is on national duty with the Falconets of Nigeria who are also preparing for FIFA under 20 women world cup in Poland.

The Nigeria Women league champions will be doing the football battle with seven other West African countries’ representatives in Burkina Faso at the WAFU-B play-offs which is scheduled to begin on August 23 and end on September 5th, 2026.

The winner of the West Africa playoffs war in Burkina Faso picks the ticket to the Women’s Champions League proper,holding in South Africa later this year.

The team is expected to depart Nigeria tomorrow with 21 players and 12 officials while Edo State Government’s delegation led by the chairman of the ruling party All Progressive Congress(APC), Emperor Jarrett Tenebe will also join the team in Burkina Faso by weekend.

Mose Chioma, Atume Doosuur, Vera, Doris, Uroko Valentina are among the top players the coaching crew led by Kennedy Boboye is banking on when the tournament begins.

The counties to fight for honour in Burkina Faso are:
Edo Queens FC of Nigeria, USFA FC of Burkina Faso, Ampem Darkoa Ladies of Ghana, ASFC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, AS Garde Nationale of Niger, Dynamique FC of Benin Republic and ASOK Da-Kara Feminines FC of Togo.