Founded | 1990 |
---|---|
Country | Nigeria |
Confederation | CAF |
Domestic cup(s) | Nigerian Women's Cup Champions Shield |
International cup(s) | CAF W-Champions League |
Current champions | Delta Queens (6th title) |
Most championships | Rivers Angels & Pelican Stars (7 titles) |
Website | The NWFL |
Current: 2023-24 NWFL Premiership |
The NWFL Premiership (formerly Nigeria Women Premier League) is the top-level league for women's association football in Nigeria. [1] [2] It is the women's equivalent of the men's league, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). [3] [4] The Nigeria Women Football League(NWFL) organizes the Nigeria Women Premier League and the Nigeria Women Pro-league. In November 2017, Aisha Falode was elected chairperson of the league board, and was officially designated in January 2017. [5]
Women's football in Nigeria started in 1978 with the foundation of the NIFFOA (Nigeria Female Football Organising Association), renamed NIFFPA (Nigeria Female Football Proprietors Associations) in 1979, and joined by clubs like Jegede Babes, Ufuoma Babes, Larry Angels, Kakanfo Babes and others. The first championship was organised by the NFA in 1990. Ufuoma Babes were dominant in the 1990s, before succumbing to Pelican stars, who won the league between 1997 and 1902. By the 2010s, Rivers Angels became more frequent in the super tournaments, a mini tournament held annually among the top placed teams, to determine the overall winner for the league. Despite the high frequency of the abridged format over the years, the 2014 league season saw a straight round robin season in determining the league winners, however by 2015, there was a reintroduction of the group system.
On 5 March 2020, the Nigeria Women Football League, the governing body of professional women's association football in Nigeria headed by Aisha Falode announced the re-branding of the women's league, by unveiling a new logo and renaming the three tiers of the league under the tutelage of the NWFL.
With the rebranding, the Nigeria Women Premier League is now known as the NWFL Premiership, the second-tier league known as NWFL Championship (formerly NWFL Pro-League) while the third tier division becomes the NWFL Nationwide (formerly NWFL Amateur League). [6]
The women's top division league in Nigeria usually follow an abridged format with a super tournament at the end of the season. The top teams in each group (sometimes 1, 2 or 3) will form the super tournament at the end of the regular season to determine the overall winner of league. The last placed teams are normally relegated to the second division, while promoted teams from the lower division are also admitted into the league. Despite the high frequency of the abridged format over the years, the 2014 league season saw a straight round robin season in determining the league winners, however by 2015, there was a reintroduction of the group system.
The list of champions and runners-ups: [7] [8]
Club | Champions | Runners-up | Winning Seasons | Runners-up Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pelican Stars FC (Calabar) | 8 | 3 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010 [lower-alpha 1] | 1995, 2004, 2014 |
Rivers Angels SC (Port Harcourt) | 7 | 4 | 1994, 2010, [lower-alpha 1] 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020–21 | 2009,2011, 2012,2013 |
Delta Queens FC (Asaba) | 6 | 2 | 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2022–23 | 2017, 2020–21 |
Bayelsa Queens (Yenagoa) | 5 | 4 | 2004, 2006, 2007, 2018, 2021–22 | 2005, 2008, 2015, 2022–23 |
Ufuoma Babes (Warri) | 4 | – | 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 | – |
Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) | 2 | 5 | 2013, 2017 | 2006, 2007, 2016, 2018, 2021–22 |
Jedege Babes (Lagos) | 1 | 1 | 1990 | 1995 |
Mande River State (Port Harcourt) | 1 | – | 1991 | – |
Year | Player | Team | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Asisat Oshoala | Rivers Angels | 6 |
2014 | Amarachi Orjinma | Pelican Stars | 17 |
2015 | Rofiat Sule | Bayelsa Queens | 11 |
2016 | Rofiat Sule | Bayelsa Queens | 9 |
2017 | Reuben Charity | Ibom Angels | 8 |
Rasheedat Ajibade | FC Robo | ||
2018 | Anam Imo | Nasarawa Amazons | 8 |
2019 | |||
2020–21 | Gift Monday (regular season only) | FC Robo | 10 |
2021–22 | Gift Monday | Bayelsa Queens | 10 [lower-alpha 1] |
2022–23 | Mercy Omokwu | Delta Queens | 9 |
Year | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
2015 | Emueje Ogbiagbevha (super 6 only) | Nasarawa Amazons [33] |
2016 | Rofiat Sule | Bayelsa Queens |
2017 | Rasheedat Ajibade | FC Robo |
2018 | Anam Imo [34] | Nasarawa Amazons |
Mercy Joy Akide Udoh is a former Nigerian football player.
Bayelsa Queens is a Nigerian women football club based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. They play in the highest pyramid of women football in Nigeria. They have won three championships in the Nigeria Women Premier League in the year 2004, 2006 and 2007.
The Nigeria Women's Cup, formally known as the Federation Cup is a cup competition in Nigeria. Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt have won the most titles. The tournament along with Nigeria Women Premier League are the two recognized competition for women football organized by the Nigeria Football Federation. The finals are usually played at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos State.
The 2014 Nigeria Women Premier League began on 1 March 2014 and ended on 26 November 2014. Nasarawa Amazons were the defending champions. This will be the first time in recent times that the winner will be decided straightaway without a mini super tournament at the end of the season.
The 2016 Nigeria Women Premier League was scheduled to start in February 2016, but was moved to 21 May, 2016. A total of 18 teams were registered for the season. The teams are divided into two groups of nine each. The winner of each abridged league will meet at the end of the season to determine the overall winner of the league. The Nigeria Women Premier League is one of the league competitions administered by the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) board.
The 2017 Nigeria Women Premier League began on March 25, 2017. The date was fixed during the congress for women football league system in Nigeria on February 22, 2017, in Abuja, which had the Minister for Sports, Solomon Dalung in attendance. Martin White Doves, Tokas Queens, Capital City Doves and Taraba Queens were relegated from the previous season. Heartland Queens of Owerri and Sadaatu Kolo Amazons of Niger State were promoted to the elite division. Rofiat Sule, the top scorer of the last two seasons and Evelyn Nwabuoku, captain of the national team amongst others were signed by Rivers Angels F.C. In March 2017, previously relegated Capital City Doves were re-added to the league, increasing the number of teams to seventeen. On 24 March, COD United Amazons F.C. and Capital City Doves were confirmed to be excluded from the league after failing to meet the registration deadline. This reduced the number of teams to fifteen.
Nasarawa Amazons F.C. is a women's association football club based in Lafia in Nasarawa State, the club is related to the men's football club Nasarawa United. The home jersey is green, the away jersey is white with a diagonal sky blue stripe.
The 2015 Nigeria Women Premier League is the 25th season of women's association football in Nigeria, and the second season since the re-branding of the competition from a championship to a premier league. The league started in May 2015, and the regular season was concluded by September of the same year. Rivers Angels came to the season as defending champions after winning the 2014 edition. They successfully defended the title by defeating Bayelsa Queens by a lone goal from Osinachi Ohale in the super six final in Umuahia, Abia State. The super six tournament began on October 20 and was concluded November 5, 2015.
The Nigeria Women's Super Cup, otherwise known as NWFL Champions Shield is an annual game, featuring the teams that won the Aiteo Cup and the Nigeria Women Premier League in the previous season. The first edition was contested on March 4, 2018 between Nasarawa Amazons and Rivers Angels at Agege Stadium, Lagos. The game also signals the curtain opener for the new football season.
Rasheedat Busayo Ajibade is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish Liga F club Atlético Madrid and the Nigeria women's national team. She is nicknamed "RASH", a shortened form of her first name, and is also called "The Girl With The Blue Hair", an ode to her bright-blue hairstyle which she dons whenever she takes onto the field.
Amarachi Grace Okoronkwo is a Nigerian footballer who currently plays for Nasarawa Amazons in the Nigerian Women Premier League and the Nigeria women's national football team. She previously played for Kokkola F10 in Finland's Naisten Liiga.
The 2018 Nigeria Women Premier League began on April 7 in a game featuring defending champions Nasarawa Amazons from Nasarawa State and FC Robo of Lagos State. The date was decided following a congress held in Ikeja on March 3. Prior to the game, a maiden super cup named the NWFL Champions Shield match was played between Aiteo Cup winners, Rivers Angels and Nasarawa Amazons to officially open the new season. At the end of the 2017 season, Sure Babes of Ilorin, Jokodolu Babes of Ogbomosho and Taraba Queens of Taraba State were promoted to compete in the elite division pending registration procedures, while Saadatu Amazons of Minna and Heartland Queens of Owerri were relegated to the pro league. In May 2018, the league went on a mid-season break due to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this was further elongated after an emerging NFF leadership crisis. In August 2018, it was announced that the remaining games of the league will commence September 12.
The 2019 Nigeria Women Premier League began July 24, 2019. The league was earlier scheduled to start in February, but due to logistic reasons and commencement of other competitions, it was postponed to March, May then later July. Prior to the start of the league, a congress was held in Abuja on June 27, with representatives from Nigeria Football Federation. Due to failure of some teams to pay their indemnities, the agreed date at the congress was shifted from July 17 to July 24.
DreamStar FC Ladies is a women's association football club based in Surulere Lagos State, Nigeria and a member of the Nigerian Women Football League ( NWFL). They have competed in the Nigeria Women Premier League, which is the highest division for women association football in Nigeria, since the 2018/2019 season, having gained promotion to the elite league by winning all their lower division's matches.
The 2020–21 NWFL Premiership was the 31st season of Nigeria women's top-flight association football league and the first since its renaming. The season began December 9, 2020.
Edo Queens is a Nigerian women football club based in Edo State, Nigeria. They play in the top women's football league in Nigeria, the NWFL Premiership.
Sheroes Cup is an annual preseason tournament for women's association football teams in Africa. The competition usually feature elite teams from Nigeria Women Premier League, as well as neighboring African countries and is supported by the Nigeria Women Football League. Since the first edition in 2019, it has been described as the biggest preseason tournament for women club football in Nigeria.
The 2021–22 NWFL Premiership was the 32nd season of the NWFL Premiership, Nigeria's top-flight women's association football league and the second season since its rebranding. The season commenced on 8 December 2021 and ended May 2022.
The 2022–23 NWFL Premiership was the 33rd season of Nigeria's top flight women's football league and the third season since its rebranding. The regular season commenced 30 November 2022 and ended 19 April 2023 with the playoffs taking place from 6 to 11 June 2023.