NWFL Premiership
Founded | 1990 |
---|---|
Country | ![]() |
Confederation | CAF |
Number of teams | 12 |
Domestic cup(s) | Nigerian Women's Cup, Nigerian Women's Super Cup |
Most championships | Pelican Stars FC (7 titles) |
Current: 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]
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
- 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:[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] [A] | |
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) | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 | |||
Rivers Angels SC (Port Harcourt) | 1994, 2010, 2014, 2015 | |||
Ufuoma Babes (Warri) | 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 | |||
Delta Queens FC (Asaba) | 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011 | |||
Bayelsa Queens (Yenagoa) | 2004, 2006, 2007 | |||
Jedege Babes (Lagos) | 1990 | |||
Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa) | 2013 |
Notes
- ^ 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
- ^ "Onigbinde optimistic about better Women's league". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Nigeria Women Football League Incorporated". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "NFF wants Dame Jonathan to lead Falcons to Canada". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Flourishing league kicks off again". BBC. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "Women's Premier League a reality". supersport.com. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ "History of Nigeria Women League". NigerianLEague.com. Nigerian League website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "Women: Nigeria: Championship". sports123.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ "Nigeria - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ "2009 Nigeria Women League Final". TideOnline.com. Tide News Website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "Rivers Angels Eye more Trophy". TideOnline.com. The Tide News Website. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4093/nigeria/2014/02/08/4601741/nasarawa-amazons-are-nigeria-women-league-champions
- ^ "Rivers Angels retain Nigeria Women Premier League title". Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "Abia hosts 2015 Nigeria Women Premier League Super Six". Retrieved 28 March 2016.