Nigerian Women Football League

Updated on Oct 24, 2023

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Country Nigeria Founded 1990 Domestic cup(s) Nigerian Women's Cup		Confederation CAF Number of teams 12

Most championships Pelican Stars FC (7 titles)

The Nigeria Women Premier League is the top flight of women's association football in Nigeria. It is the women's equivalent of the men's top-flight league, the Nigeria Premier League. It is regarded by the BBC as a pacesetter league for the African continent, with players earning as much as $300 monthly allowance and signup fees up to $2500. It also act as a hub for professional players from other West-African countries. The Nigeria Women Football League organizes the Nigeria Women Premier League and the Nigeria Women Amateur League.

History

Female 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.

For 2013/14 the league was restructured and renamed to the Premier League. Twelve teams will play in a single division.

The 2015 season saw the reintroduction of the group system for the league. A super six tournament was played at the end of the season to determine the overall winner. Rivers Angels topped group A in the regular season and went on to win the elite league of six teams.

Format

The female top division league in Nigeria always follow groups pattern and a super 6 tournament at the end of the season. Group A and B normally consist of 10 teams each (20 in total). The top 3 teams of each group will form the super 6 league at the end of the regular season to determine the overall winner of league.

For the 2013/2014 season the NWPL department of the Nigeria Football Federation abolished the group format of the league and introduced an elite league formed from the top 6 teams in each group during the 2012/2013 season. The new elite league is to be called Nigeria Women Premier League while the remaining teams (10 clubs) will join other clubs to form a lower division league to allow promotion and relegation format.

2013–14 season

Top division

Nasarawa Amazons of Nasarawa State

Delta Queens of Delta State

FC Edo Queens of Edo State

Adamawa Queens of Adamawa State

Osun Babes of Osun State

FC Taraba Queens of Taraba State

Rivers Angels of Rivers State

Bayelsa Queens of Bayelsa State

Pelican Stars of Calabar

Ibom Angels of Akwa Ibom State

Sunshine Queens of Ondo State

Kogi Confluence Queens of Kogi State

Lower Division

Group A

FC Robo (Lagos)

Police Machines (Lagos)

Tokas Queens (Lagos)

COD Queens (Lagos)

Yaba Queens (Lagos)

Tewo Babes (Ibadan)

Group B

Matins White doves FC (Benin)

State House Queens (Abuja)

Abia Queens (Abia)

Capital City doves (Abuja)

Oguche Babes (Lokoja)

Beautiful tour Angels (Abuja)

2012–13 season

Group A

Delta Queens

Adamawa Queens

Nasarawa Amazon

Martins White

Standard Babes

Inneh Queens

FC Robo

Taraba Queens

Kogi Confluence Queens

Osun Babes of Osogbo

Group B

Rivers Angels

Bayelsa Queens

Pelican Stars

CI. Angels of Asaba

Tewo Babes

Police Machine

FCT Queens

Tokas Queens

Sunshine Queens

Ibom Angels

Statistics for 2012/2013 Season

Team with the highest cautions and expulsions: Sunshine Queens FC of Akure

Team with the least cautions and expulsions: Taraba Queens of Jalingo

Highest goal scorers: Asisat Oshoala (Rivers Angels)- 6 goals

Joy Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens) – 5 goals

Kalu Uche (Pelican Stars) – 4 goals

Total number of matches played 180x 2 = 360

Total number of matches won 155

Total number of matches lost 155

Total number of matches drawn 50

Total number of goals scored 464

Total number of home victories 133

Total number of away victories 22

Champions

The list of champions and runners-ups:

References

Nigerian Women Football League Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA