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2026 NWFL Championship Draw Unveiled as 16 Teams Battle for Premiership Promotion

Published

2 months ago

3:43 pm

2026 NWFL Championship Draw Unveiled as 16 Teams Battle for Premiership Promotion

The draw for the 2026 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship has been concluded, setting the stage for an exciting battle among 16 clubs vying for promotion to the NWFL Premiership.

The second-tier championship, scheduled to hold in Calabar, Cross River State, from July 9 to 16, 2026, will see the participating teams compete in four groups of four.

Group A features Delta Babes, DreamStar Ladies FC, Rosaria Victrix FC, and First Mahi Babes.

In Group B, Pelican Stars will face Gallant Queens, Ikukuoma Queens, and Moje Queens.

Group C consists of Rangers Women FC, Fortress Ladies FC, Wazbak Int’l Sports Academy, and Unification FC.

Group D is made up of Imo Striker Queens, Kwara Ladies, Chosen Generation Angels FC, and Ghetto Tigers.

The championship serves as the promotion playoff for Nigeria’s second-tier women’s league, with only two teams earning promotion to the NWFL Premiership for the 2026/27 season.

With the stakes high and the nation’s top second-tier clubs set to converge in Calabar, the tournament promises a week of intense competition as teams chase a coveted place in the elite division of Nigerian women’s football.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams. In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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