HerGame Girls Championship expands to 20 as Abuja hosts Empowering 2025 edition

By Dayo Awoniyi

The HerGame Girls Football Championship is set for a bigger and more impactful return as the 2025 edition kicks off in Abuja from November 29 to December 6.

Organisers confirmed on Tuesday that this year’s tournament will feature 20 teams from across Nigeria’s North Central region, up from 16 in the inaugural edition.

Built on the mission of empowering the girl child through football, the championship provides grassroots teams and emerging talents with a platform to gain competitive experience, build confidence, and access structured pathways for long-term player development.

Haruna Ilerika, Chairman of the Organising Committee and Secretary of the FCT Football Association, described the expansion as a testament to the growing influence of the HerGame initiative.

“Increasing participation from 16 to 20 teams reflects the growing credibility and impact of the HerGame initiative. This second edition will elevate the standards, giving more girls the opportunity to showcase their abilities in a supportive and inspiring environment,” he said.

Dr. Pat Ajuma Ayegba, Founder of the HerGame Foundation and member of the FCT FA Board, emphasized that the tournament aligns with the Foundation’s broader goal of using sport to drive inclusion and empowerment.

“HerGame Foundation was founded to unlock opportunities for young and underprivileged girls, giving them the visibility, confidence, and platform they need to pursue football at higher levels. The rapid growth of this championship demonstrates that, when given equal opportunities, girls rise and excel,” she said.

The competition continues to strengthen grassroots football and champion girl-child development, contributing to the long-term advancement of women’s football in Northern Nigeria.

Last year’s debut edition saw FOSLA Academy emerge champions, with Queen Joseph claiming both the Highest Goal Scorer and MVP awards before becoming Nigeria’s top scorer at the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

FOSLA Academy will return this year to defend their title against a more diverse and competitive field. Detailed match schedules and programme activities will be released ahead of kickoff.

The week-long tournament will be held across two venues: the Area 3 pitch and the Moshood Abiola Stadium training pitch.

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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