2021–22 NWFL Premiership

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.[1]

Nigeria Women Football League Premiership
Season2021–22
Dates8 December 2021 – May 2022
ChampionsBayelsa Queens (5th title)
Promoted
Matches played99
Goals scored218 (2.2 per match)
Biggest home winBayelsa Queens 5–0 Abia Angels (30 March 2022)
Biggest away winRoyal Queens 0–4 Rivers Angels (22 December 2021)
Highest scoringNaija Ratels 5–2 Adamawa Queens (23 December 2022)
All statistics correct as of 22 May 2022.

This season saw a return to the abridged format whereby the fourteen clubs are divided into two groups of seven teams each whereafter a "Super Six" tournament will decide the league champions.[2] Defending champions Rivers Angels finished third at the Championship play-offs.

Bayelsa Queens won their 5th NWFL Premiership title after emerging champions of the Super Six tournament.[3]

Clubs

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Naija Ratels and Adamawa Queens were promoted to the top-flight after winning the NWFL Championship play-offs; the latter having failed to compete the previous season due to late licensing and registration. They replaced DreamStar Ladies and Ibom Angels who were relegated after finishing bottom of the group at the previous season's relegation playoffs.

Team Stadium City
Adamawa Queens Pantami Stadium[a] Yola
Abia Angels Umuahia Township Stadium Umuahia
Bayelsa Queens Nembe City Stadium Yenagoa
Confluence Queens Confluence Stadium

Ilorin Township Stadium
Lokoja
Delta Queens Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba
Edo Queens University of Benin Sports Complex

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium
Benin City
Naija Ratels Area 10 Sports Complex[b] Makurdi
Nasarawa Amazons F.C. Lafia Township Stadium Lafia
Osun Babes Lanre Leke Stadium[c] Osogbo
Pelican Stars U. J. Esuene Stadium Calabar
Rivers Angels UNIPORT Sports Complex Port Harcourt
Robo Legacy Pitch Lagos
Royal Queens Warri Township Stadium Warri
Sunshine Queens Akure Township Stadium Akure
  1. ^ Adamawa Queens will play their home matches at Pantami Stadium in Gombe since no stadiums in Yola meets the stadium requirements.
  2. ^ Naija Ratels are to play home matches at the Area 10 Sports Complex in Abuja until completion of their stadium.
  3. ^ Osun Babes will play their home matches at Lanre Leke Stadium, Ileogbo as their home stadium, Osogbo Stadium, Osogbo was declared unfit to host matches by the league body.[4]

Regular season

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Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Nasarawa Amazons 12 9 0 3 24 6 +18 27 Championship play-offs
2 Edo Queens 12 8 2 2 22 8 +14 26
3 Naija Ratels 12 5 3 4 19 15 +4 18
4 Osun Babes 12 5 2 5 9 12 −3 17
5 Confluence Queens 12 4 4 4 10 9 +1 16
6 Adamawa Queens 12 4 0 8 9 20 −11 12
7 Pelican Stars 12 1 1 10 2 25 −23 4 Relegated
Source: TheNWFL

Results

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Home \ Away ADA CON EDO RAT NAS OSU PEL
Adamawa Queens 1–0 0–2 2–3 0–1 2–1 1–0
Confluence Queens 1–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 0–0 4–0
Edo Queens 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–1 3–0 4–0
Naija Ratels 5–2 2–1 0–3 0–1 2–0 3–0
Nasarawa Amazons 4–0 2–0 2–0 3–2 4–0 3–0
Osun Babes 1–0 0–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 2–0
Pelican Stars 0–1 1–1 0–1 1–0 0–3 0–2
Source: TheNWFL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Bayelsa Queens 12 7 3 2 21 5 +16 24 Championship play-offs
2 Rivers Angels 12 7 2 3 17 7 +10 23
3 Delta Queens 12 6 5 1 17 7 +10 23
4 Robo Queens 12 6 1 5 14 10 +4 19
5 Abia Angels 12 2 5 5 3 17 −14 11
6 Royal Queens 12 3 1 8 10 20 −10 10
7 Sunshine Queens 12 2 1 9 6 22 −16 7 Relegated
Source: TheNWFL

Results

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Home \ Away ABI BAY DEL RIV ROB ROY SUN
Abia Angels 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0
Bayelsa Queens 5–0 1–1 1–0 2–0 3–0 3–0
Delta Queens 2–0 2–2 0–0 2–1 5–1 1–0
Rivers Angels 4–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–3 2–1
Robo Queens 2–0 1–0 0–0 2–1 3–1 3–0
Royal Queens 3–0 0–1 0–1 0–4 0–1 2–0
Sunshine Queens 1–1 0–3 1–3 0–2 2–1 1–0
Source: TheNWFL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

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The top six teams at the end of the regular season engaged each other in a round-robin playoff also known as the Super Six between 16 and 22 May in order to decide the league champion and representative at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. All matches are played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and UNIBEN Sports Complex in Benin City.[5]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Bayelsa Queens 5 5 0 0 11 3 +8 15 Champion/Qualified to the CAF CL
2 Nasarawa Amazons 5 3 0 2 6 4 +2 9
3 Rivers Angels 5 2 2 1 5 3 +2 8
4 Edo Queens 5 1 2 2 2 3 −1 5
5 Delta Queens 5 1 2 2 1 2 −1 5
6 Naija Ratels 5 0 0 5 0 10 −10 0
Source: TheNWFL
Home \ Away BAY DEL EDO RAT NAS RIV
Bayelsa Queens 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1
Delta Queens 0–0
Edo Queens 1–0 0–1 0–0
Naija Ratels 0–4 0–1 0–2
Nasarawa Amazons 1–0 2–0 1–2
Rivers Angels 0–0
Source: TheNWFL

Statistical leaders

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Top scorers

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As of 23 April 2021

Rank Player Club Goals
1   Gift Monday Robo 10
2   Reuben Charity Bayelsa Queens 8
3   Elizabeth Zirike Edo Queens 6

Top assists

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Rank Player Club Assists
1   Joy Jerry Bayelsa Queens F.C. 6

Hat-tricks

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Player For Against Score Date
  Mercy Omokwu Confluence Queens Pelican Stars 4–0[6] 8 December 2021
  Motunrayo Ezekiel Naija Ratels 3–0[7] 23 February 2022
  Gift Monday Bayelsa Queens Naija Ratels 4–0 17 May 2022

Season's awards

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Award Winner Club
Player of the Season   Gift Monday Bayelsa Queens
League Topscorer
Goalkeeper of the Season   Bawou Gabrielle

References

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  1. ^ "2021–22 NWFL season gets December 8th kickoff date". owosports.com. 23 September 2021.
  2. ^ "NWFL Premiership reverts to abridged format". Africa top sports. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Gift Monday gifts Bayelsa Queens NWFL Super Six title". Punch.ngThe. 22 May 2022.
  4. ^ "NWFL bans Osogbo Stadium from hosting matches over deplorable condition". Dailypost.ng. 7 December 2021.
  5. ^ "NWFL:Edo set to host 2022 Super Six tournament". premiumtimesng. 14 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Nigerian Women Football League MD one round up". ojbsport.com. 9 December 2022.
  7. ^ "NWFL Premiership Matchday 8 review". kick442.com. 24 February 2022.
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