NWFL Sanctions Osun Babes Over Abandoned Premiership Fixture

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has sanctioned Osun Babes FC for breaching league regulations, leading to the non-commencement of their 2025/2026 Premiership fixture against FC Robo Queens in Lagos.

The match, scheduled for Wednesday, 18 February 2026, failed to kick off after Osun Babes — designated as the away team — did not provide an alternative set of jerseys with clearly printed player names and numbers despite a confirmed colour clash with the home side.

As a result, match officials awarded a walkover in favour of FC Robo Queens, in accordance with NWFL regulations.

The League ruled that Osun Babes contravened Article 10.3 of the NWFL Regulatory Framework, which mandates that clubs must use their second-choice colours for away fixtures to resolve kit clashes.

Furthermore, Article 10.5 requires the away team to wear alternative colours when the home team is dressed in its registered first-choice kit.

The club was also found in violation of Article 14.7, which addresses failure to honour a fixture without force majeure or acceptable justification.

In line with the framework provisions, Osun Babes have been fined:

₦1,000,000 for the jersey violation.
₦1,500,000 for failure to fulfil the fixture.

This brings the total sanction to ₦2,500,000 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only).

NWFL Chief Operating Officer Modupe Shabi reaffirmed the League’s stance on compliance and professionalism.

“The NWFL remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and compliance. Our regulations are clear, and all clubs are expected to meet their obligations fully. These measures are necessary to protect the integrity and credibility of the NWFL and are not punitive for their own sake.”

The NWFL reiterated its commitment to fair play, discipline, and orderly match conduct, urging all Premiership clubs to strictly adhere to operational and regulatory requirements to avoid future sanctions.

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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