Nigerian Women Football League

Nigerian Women's Championship
Country  Nigeria
Confederation CAF
Founded 1990
Number of teams 12
Domestic cup(s) Nigerian Women's Cup, Nigerian Women's Super Cup
Most championships Pelican Stars FC (7 titles)
Website nwfl.com.ng
2014 Nigerian Women's Championship

The Nigerian Women's Premier League is the top flight of women's association football in Nigeria.[1][2] It is the women's equivalent of the Premier League.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

2013–14 season

Top division

Lower Division

Group A

Group B

2012–13 season

Statistics for 2012/2013 Season

Champions

The list of champions and runners-ups:[7][8]

Year Champions Runners-up
1990 Jedege Babes
1991
1992 Ufuoma Babes
1993 Ufuoma Babes
1994 Rivers Angels SC Jedege Babes
1995 Ufuoma Babes Pelican Stars FC
1996 Ufuoma Babes
1997 Pelican Stars FC
1998 Pelican Stars FC
1999 Pelican Stars FC FCT Queens
2000 Pelican Stars FC FCT Queens
2001 Pelican Stars FC FCT Queens
2002 Pelican Stars FC FCT Queens
2003 Delta Queens FC FCT Queens
2004 Bayelsa Queens Pelican Stars FC
2005 Pelican Stars FC Bayelsa Queens
2006 Bayelsa Queens Nasarawa Amazons
2007 Bayelsa Queens Nasarawa Amazons
2008 Delta Queens FC Bayelsa Queens
2009 Delta Queens FC[9] Rivers Angels
2010 Rivers Angels [10] [upper-alpha 1]
2011 Delta Queens FC River Angels SC
2012 Delta Queens FC River Angels SC
2013 Nassarawa Amazons[11] Rivers Angels
2014 Rivers Angels Pelican Stars FC
2015 Rivers Angels[12][13] Bayelsa Queens

Most successful clubs

Club Champions Runners-Up Winning Seasons Runners-Up Seasons
Pelican Stars FC (Calabar)
7
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005
Rivers Angels SC (Port Harcourt)
4
1994, 2010, 2014, 2015
Ufuoma Babes (Warri)
4
1992, 1993, 1995, 1996
Delta Queens FC (Asaba)
4
2003, 2008, 2009, 2011
Bayelsa Queens (Yenagoa)
3
2004, 2006, 2007
Jedege Babes (Lagos)
1
1990
Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa)
1
2013

Notes

  1. ↑ There was no Super 6 tournament this season but NFF gave the league to Rivers Angels after they finish top of group A in the regular season with Delta Queens finishing second

References

  1. ↑ "Onigbinde optimistic about better Women’s league". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Nigeria Women Football League Incorporated". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "NFF wants Dame Jonathan to lead Falcons to Canada". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Flourishing league kicks off again". BBC. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Women's Premier League a reality". supersport.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "History of Nigeria Women League". NigerianLEague.com. Nigerian League website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Women: Nigeria: Championship". sports123.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "Nigeria - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "2009 Nigeria Women League Final". TideOnline.com. Tide News Website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Rivers Angels Eye more Trophy". TideOnline.com. The Tide News Website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4093/nigeria/2014/02/08/4601741/nasarawa-amazons-are-nigeria-women-league-champions
  12. ↑ "Rivers Angels retain Nigeria Women Premier League title". Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Abia hosts 2015 Nigeria Women Premier League Super Six". Retrieved 28 March 2016.

External links

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