The 2022 Annual General Meeting and Congress of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has taken place in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital with a resolve by stakeholders to work towards improving women’s football in the country.
Declaring the event open, Governor Douye Diri expressed delight with the level of progress of women’s football in the nation, while urging youths to take advantage of the avenues offered by the game to make something meaningful for their lives.
The Governor, who described football as a money-spinning sport which provides means of empowerment for many individuals, charged managers of the game to make women’s football attractive.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Daniel Igali noted that Bayelsa State had in the last two years experienced a revolution in sports owing to this administration’s support for sports development with Bayelsa Queens emerging the NWFL Cup winners and the NWFL Super Six champions.
Chairperson of the NWFL Board, Aisha Falode said the Congress was an opportunity for key actors to assess the 2021/2022 football season while setting the agenda for the new season, especially in improving standards.
While thanking Governor Diri and the Bayelsa State government for hosting the AGM and Congress, she stated that the goal was to make the women league one of the best in the world.
Chairmen of women’s football clubs from all the women league tiers across the country, board members, administrators and other stakeholders attended the AGM and Congress of the NWFL.
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Meanwhile, the NWFL Congress which took place in Yenagoa has approved September 14, 2022, as the kick-off date for the 2022/2023 season of the NWFL Premier League across the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the 2022 Annual General Meeting / Congress, it was resolved that the NWFL will work hard to protect the integrity of the league by ensuring fair officiating of all matches that will be played in the premiership as the league board will also engage the services of match assessors for all games that will be played.
The Congress agreed that the NWFL Premier League 2022/2023 will be played in an abridged format of two groups, A and B comprising seven teams each, with each of the teams drawing at least one bye. The league will be concluded by the Super Six to decide the season’s champions, as it was done in the previous season.
It was agreed that clubs must comply with international best practices in areas of players’ welfare and remuneration.
The Congress ratified the promotion of two NWFL Championship clubs; Heartland Queens of Owerri and Ibom Angels of Uyo to the NWFL Premiership and the relegation of two NWFL Premiership clubs; Sunshine Queens of Akure and Pelican Stars of Calabar, to the NWFL Championship.
Also, the NWFL confirmed the promotion of four NWFL Nationwide teams; Lakeside Queens FC of Lagos, Prince Kazeem Eletu Queens of Lagos, Imo Strikers of Owerri and Delta Babes of Asaba to the NWFL Championship.
However, the board also ratified the relegation of two NWFL Championship teams, Royaltoms International FC of Lagos and Beautiful Tours Angels of Abuja to the NWFL Nationwide.
In another development, a friendly match between two NWFL Premiership sides on Saturday, Bayelsa Queens and Nasarawa Amazons ended in a barren draw.
