Naija Ratels FC and Pacesetter Queens have been relegated from the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership following decisive Matchday 15 results that confirmed their drop to the Championship.
Naija Ratels’ fate was sealed after a 2–0 defeat to Edo Queens in Benin City. Goals from Esther Inyang and Atume Doosuur ensured the Abuja-based side remained rooted at the bottom, with just five points from 14 matches — an insurmountable gap with only two fixtures left to play.
The relegation marks the end of Naija Ratels’ five-season stay in the top flight, having featured in the Premiership since their debut in the 2021/22 campaign.
Pacesetter Queens also saw their fate confirmed in their debut season after falling 2–0 to Ekiti Queens in a South-West derby in Ado Ekiti. The Ibadan-based side’s struggles throughout the campaign ultimately proved costly, as they were unable to secure enough points to avoid the drop.
With two relegation spots allocated to Group A, both teams’ results mathematically confirmed their exit from the elite division.
Naija Ratels and Pacesetter Queens will now compete in the NWFL Championship next season, where they will aim to regroup and push for an immediate return to the top tier.
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.
