Full name | Nasarawa Amazons Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Solid Babes |
Founded | 2000 |
Ground | Lafia Township Stadium |
Owner | Government of Nasarawa State |
Manager | Christopher Danjuma |
League | Nigeria Women Premier League |
Nasarawa Amazons F.C. is a women's association football club based in Lafia in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The club is associated with the men's football club Nasarawa United. [1] The home jersey is green, [2] while the away jersey is white with a diagonal sky blue stripe. [3]
The club was founded by the government of Nasarawa State in 2000. The nickname of the club, Solid Babes, is from the official slogan of the state. [4]
They won the Nigeria Women Premier League in 2013 and 2017, [5] and were runners-up in 2006, 2007 and 2016. [6] [7] They have also won the Nigerian Women's Cup twice, with their recent win in 2019 [8]
In 2010, Nasarawa Amazons were evicted from their home camping ground in Lafia for failure to pay accumulated rents. [9] In 2012, Amazons played Pelican Stars F.C. to qualify for the super six tournament that determines the overall winner of the league. [10] In 2013, the governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, donated ₦ 40,000,000 to aid the running of the club and in recognition of the outstanding performance of the team. [11] Amazons were suspended during the 2016 season but were reinstated back to the league after an appeal. [12]
Squad list for 2022 season.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Nasarawa State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba and Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states of Benue and Kogi, and to the west by the Federal Capital Territory. Named for the historic Nasarawa Emirate, the state was formed from the west of Plateau State on 1 October 1996. The state has thirteen local government areas and its capital is Lafia, located in the east of the state, while a key economic centre of the state is the Karu Urban Area—suburbs of Abuja—along the western border with the FCT.
Nasarawa United Football Club is a soccer club based in Lafia, Nasarawa, Nigeria. They play in the Nigeria Premier League.
Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is a Nigerian businessman and politician and also a former governor and senator in Nasarawa State in the ticket. He was elected as a senator in 2019.
The NWFL Premiership (formerly Nigeria Women Premier League) is the top-level league for women's association football in Nigeria. It is the women's equivalent of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for male players. 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.
Ukpong Esther Sunday is a Nigerian footballer, who plays for OKS Stomil Olsztyn and has also played for the Nigeria women's national football team.
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 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.
Pelican Stars F.C. is a professional women's association football club based in Calabar, Cross River State. Founded in 1990, they play in the Nigeria Women's Football League Championship, the second division for women's football in the country.
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.
Christopher Musa Danjuma is the head coach of Nasarawa Amazons in the Nigeria Women Premier League. Since August 2017, he has been doubling as the coach of Nigeria women's national under-20 football team following his recommendation and subsequent appointment by Nigeria Football Federation. He previously coached Nigeria women's national football team, after the sack of Edwin Okon in June 2015. He was relieved of his duty after 2015 African Games, with Florence Omagbemi later occupying the vacant managerial role in February 2016.
Anam Imo is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Piteå IF in the Damallsvenskan and the national football team. She has also played for the under-20 team.
Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Première Ligue club Paris FC and the Nigeria women's national team. She has been regarded as the best female goalkeeper in Africa and one of the best in the world.
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.
Muhammadu Sani Bako III is a prominent member of Gwandara people and a first-class Emir of New Karshi in Nasarawa. He was a career federal civil servant. He is a senior member of Nasarawa State Council of Traditional Rulers, and chairs the Governing Council of Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD in Political Economy and Development Studies from the University of Abuja. He was the Magajin Garin Karshi.
Josephine Mathias is a Nigerian women's football midfielder, who played in the Turkish Women's First Football League for Trabzon İdmanocağı with jersey number 16.
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 matches.
Nasarawa South senatorial district covers five local governments namely Awe, Doma, Keana, Lafia and Obi. Lafia is the headquarters of Nasarawa South senatorial district. Mohammed Onawo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the current representative of Nasarawa South senatorial district.
The 2011 Nigerian House of Representatives elections in Nasarawa State was held on April 9, 2011, to elect members of the House of Representatives to represent Nasarawa State, Nigeria.