Edo Queens delivered a commanding 5-1 win against Burkina Faso’s USFA in their CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU-B semi-final in Ouagadougou, moving within one match of regaining the regional crown.
Key takeaways
- The Nigerian champions led 3-0 at half-time at Stade 4 Août.
- Atume Doosuur, Chioma Moses, Valentina Uroko, Doshima Tarnum and Aminat Folorunsho were Edo Queens’ scorers.
- Uroko’s outstanding effort came shortly before the interval and was followed by a direct corner-kick goal from Tarnum.
- USFA found a late consolation in stoppage time.
- Edo Queens have registered 16 goals across four tournament matches.
Edo Queens overpower USFA
The reigning Nigeria Women’s Football League champions controlled the contest from the outset, finding the net three times in the opening 45 minutes before adding two further goals after the restart.
Doosuur broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, while Moses increased the advantage six minutes before half-time. Moses was subsequently recognised as the game’s Woman of the Match.
Uroko then produced the standout moment of the semi-final, unleashing a spectacular attempt just before the break to send Edo Queens into the interval with a three-goal cushion.
The forward later explained that the finish came from repeated work on the training ground.
“That is a finish I regularly practise, and I have kept trying it, so I was pleased to see it work today,” Uroko said.
Edo Queens resumed in the same assertive fashion, with Tarnum scoring straight from a corner only 60 seconds into the second half.
Folorunsho completed the Nigerian side’s five-goal haul in the 62nd minute. USFA managed to reduce the deficit during added time, but the late strike did not threaten Edo Queens’ progress.
Route to the final
The result booked Edo Queens’ place in the final and sustained their bid to recover the WAFU-B trophy they lifted in 2024. Victory in the competition would also secure their passage to the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The Benin-based team had made an impressive start to the tournament. They opened Group B by thrashing Niger Republic’s AS Garde Nationale 7-0, then followed that performance with a 3-1 success over Côte d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas.
Their sole setback arrived in the final group match, when Ghanaian club Ampem Darkoa Ladies claimed a narrow 2-1 victory.
Although Uroko’s goal and the scale of the semi-final win boosted the team, she insisted that Edo Queens would stay focused while the decisive match remained to be played.
“I will keep my concentration and not get carried away, because our work is not finished yet,” she said.
With 16 goals from four matches, Edo Queens have underlined the attacking power that will be central to their preparations for the final.
