TP Mazembe End Edo Queens Fairytale Run in CAF Women’s League

*The beaten Nigerian champions to play for bronze on Friday

Femi Solaja

The fairytale run of Edo Queens, Nigeria’s representatives at the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco, ended in 3-1 defeat in the semi final stage against DR Congo champions, TP Mazembe, inside Casablanca’s Larbi Zaouli Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Despite the defeat, the Edo Queens will now compete in a bronze medal match on Friday, while also going home with $300,000 (over N500million)  in prize money for reaching the semifinals. There will be additional $50,000 if they win the third place game.

The Edo Queens were good to make the final of the competition against all odds, but just fell short at the death.

The Nigerian champions took the lead in the 65th minute through an Emem Essien lob over goalkeeper Ngoy., and looked to seal a 1-0 win but it was not to be.

With few minutes away to sealing a place in the final match,  a late equaliser by  Merveille Nanguji gave TP Mazembe a lifeline and dragged the game into extra time where the Congolese club eventually triumphed with two more goals; winning the tie 3-1.

If they had advanced to the final, Edo Queens would have become the first Nigerian side to achieve this feat, building on the legacy of compatriots Bayelsa Queens, who were stopped at this same stage in 2022.

Now Coach Moses Aduku’s Ladies will need to dust themselves to make the most of their third-place match on Friday.

This year’s CAF Women’s Champions League boasts a massive increase in prize money to USD 2,350,000, reflecting CAF’s commitment to developing women’s football in Africa.

Teams compete not only for glory but also for a substantial financial reward, supporting the growth of women’s football programmes across the continent.

The breakdown of the prize money is as follows:

Winners: USD 600,000,  Runners-up: USD 400,000, 3rd place: USD 350,000, 
4th place: USD 300,000,  3rd in Group: USD 200,000 each, 4th in Group: USD 150,000 each.