Liadi Bashiru recounts Honey Badgers’ historic NWFL Premiership berth

By Saheed Afolabi

Veteran coach Liadi Bashiru has shared insights into the Honey Badgers’ remarkable journey to secure their first-ever promotion to the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership from the Championship.

The Makurdi-based team achieved this milestone by narrowly defeating the host team, Pelican Stars, with a solitary goal in the promotion playoffs.

Bashiru acknowledged that the path to this success was fraught with challenges, requiring significant sacrifices, teamwork, dedication, and perseverance.

“Achieving this promotion wasn’t easy; it involved a lot of hard work and endurance,” Bashiru told nigeriafootball.ng in an exclusive interview. “We faced many obstacles and took each challenge as it came.”

The coach also reflected on the impact of their loss to Kwara Ladies, which he described as a crucial turning point.

“Losing to Kwara Ladies was a wakeup call for us,” Bashiru said. “It pushed us to elevate our performance and refocus on our goals.”

He attributed the Honey Badgers’ success to the unwavering dedication of his players.

“The key to our achievement was the players’ dedication. Despite the harsh conditions, we trained consistently, whether in the sun or the rain, to reach our goal. We are grateful that our hard work has paid off.”

Reflecting on their playoff match against Pelican Stars, Bashiru noted the intensity of the competition. “Our game against Pelican Stars was the most challenging. I didn’t expect them to put up such a strong fight, but it was a good test for us. Their resistance only made our victory more rewarding.”

The Honey Badgers’ promotion marks a significant milestone in their history, as they prepare to compete in the topflight of Nigerian women’s football.