The Rivers State Government has sacked the entire management, technical crew, and staff of Rivers Angels Football Club with immediate effect. In a letter dated June 29, 2026, signed by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports Emmanuel Ndah, the government blamed “non-performance and lack of seriousness” for the decision.
The move comes after another poor season for the seven-time NWFL champions. Rivers Angels hosted the 2025/26 Super Six in Port Harcourt but could only manage one win, finishing 5th overall. It’s now four years since the club last lifted the league title in 2021, and patience in government circles appears to have run out.
Rivers Angels remain one of Nigeria’s most decorated women’s clubs, with seven league titles and 10 Federation Cups to their name. They also made history as the country’s first team at the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt in 2021. But they haven’t been the same since bowing out in the group stage that year and failing to regain domestic dominance.
Despite the mass dismissal, the government says former staff can reapply if they want their jobs back. The shake-up makes it clear that Rivers wants a full reset. The goal is to rebuild the club and return the “Jewels of Rivers” to the top of Nigerian women’s football.
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.
