The Nigerian federation argued that Edo Queens were not given a fair hearing before CAF ordered the result of the September 5 final to be cancelled and the match replayed.
CAF had ruled that the final should have proceeded to 30 minutes of extra time before a penalty shootout. Edo Queens had won the match 4-1 on penalties after the game went directly to a shootout.
The decision followed a protest lodged by the Ghana Football Association on behalf of Ampem Darkoa Ladies, according to the NFF.
In its appeal, the NFF argued that even if the match officials made an error by proceeding directly to penalties, Edo Queens should not suffer the sporting consequences of a decision they neither caused nor requested.
The federation’s central legal argument is that CAF’s authority to establish a regulatory breach does not automatically give it unrestricted powers to determine the remedy.
The NFF has asked the Appeals Committee to establish whether CAF’s regulations specifically permit the annulment of a completed penalty shootout and the resumption of a final from extra time where neither participating club was responsible for the breach.
“The Edo Queens did not refuse to play extra time, demand penalties or misrepresent the regulations to the referee.
“Rather, the club complied with the official instruction that the winner be decided from the spot.
“Edo Queens neither elected nor requested that extra time be dispensed with. The responsibility for the match procedure rested with the officials, not the players or club,” the NFF said.
The Nigerian federation also distinguished between a team benefiting from an official’s error and being responsible for causing or procuring that error.
It maintained that Edo Queens’ compliance with the referee’s instructions could not retrospectively be treated as responsibility for the failure to play extra time.
“CAF’s ruling itself found that the failure to play extra time resulted from an administrative instruction and that neither Edo Queens nor Ampem Darkoa were responsible,” the NFF said.
The appeal will now be considered by the CAF Appeals Committee, with the NFF seeking the restoration of Edo Queens’ original victory.
