By Dayo Awoniyi
Reigning Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership champions, Bayelsa Queens, will depart Lagos on Tuesday for Abidjan as they begin their campaign in the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU-B qualifiers in Cote D’Ivoire.
The Prosperity Girls will move on to Yamoussoukro, the host city, where they are drawn in Group B alongside Police Ladies of Ghana, Association Sportive De La Kozah of Togo, and Benin Republic’s Sam Melly. Only the group winners will progress to the final stage of the qualifiers.
Head coach Whyte Ogbonda expressed confidence in his restructured squad, which has been bolstered by several new signings.
“We have recruited new players comprising a rock-solid defence marshaled by experienced and imposing centre-backs, and a midfield full of creativity and energy,” Ogbonda said.
“The team is ready for the continental challenge, and our target is to qualify for the Champions League proper.”
Bayelsa Queens, who won the NWFL title last season, will be flying Nigeria’s flag with the aim of booking a ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League group stage and once again showcasing the strength of Nigerian women’s football on the continental stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
