Abia State will host the 2025 NWFL Championship from September 11 to 21, with 17 clubs set to battle for four promotion spots to the Premiership, www.aclsports.com reports.
The second-tier women’s league returns as the next phase of the 2025 NWFL calendar, following the successful Premiership Super 6 held earlier in Ikenne.
Chief Operating Officer of the NWFL, Modupe Shabi, announced on Monday, August 18, that 17 clubs have signed up for the competition. The teams will be drawn into four groups at the official ceremony in Umuahia on September 12.
According to Shabi, the organisers are committed to ensuring fairness and transparency. “Every participating team will have equal opportunity on and off the pitch. Our aim is to deliver a competition that reflects the values of professionalism and integrity,” she said.
Format and schedule
Teams are expected to arrive in Abia on September 11 ahead of the draw. Matches will kick off on September 13 and run through to September 21, with rest days built into the schedule to allow players to recover between fixtures.
The tournament will determine which clubs secure promotion to the elite division. Four promotion tickets are available, with the winners of each group guaranteed a place in the 2025/26 NWFL Premiership season.
Match venues
Matches will be played at two venues: the Abiriba Stadium and the Umuahia Township Stadium.
Participating teams
This year’s participants are: Sunshine Queens, Osun Babes, Royal Queens, Pelican Stars, Ghetto Tigers, Wazbak Int’l, Castmog Ladies, Chosen Generation Angels, Imo Striker Queens, Unification, Delta Babes, Ahudiyannem Queens, First Mahi Babes, Fortress Ladies, Kwara Ladies, Moje Queens, and Gallant Queens.
With four Premiership promotion spots up for grabs, the stakes are high, and ambitious sides will be eager to stake their claim among Nigeria’s elite women’s clubs.
