The 2026 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship will be hosted in Calabar, Cross River State, two years after the city last hosted the second-tier competition, www.aclsports.com reports.
The competition is scheduled to take place from July 9 to 16, with 16 clubs set to compete for promotion to the NWFL Premiership.
Commenting on the development, NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Modupe Shabi, outlined the schedule for the competition, noting that participating teams are expected to arrive on Thursday, July 9, 2026, ahead of the start of activities.
She also revealed that the teams will be drawn into four groups following a ceremony scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2026, with full group details and access information to be communicated to the clubs.
The tournament will begin with a pre-match meeting on Friday, July 10, before officially kicking off on Saturday, July 11, with Matchday 1 featuring eight matches across two venues.
After a rest day on Sunday, July 12, teams will return for Matchday 2 on Monday, July 13, with another set of eight fixtures across two venues.
The group stage will conclude with Matchday 3 on Tuesday, July 14, followed by a rest day on Wednesday, July 15, ahead of the decisive Matchday 4 play-off fixtures on Thursday, July 16.
At the end of the competition, the two best-performing teams will earn promotion to the NWFL Premiership, while the three lowest-ranked teams will be relegated to the NWFL Nationwide division.
The NWFL management urged all participating clubs to strictly adhere to competition regulations, schedules, and directives as preparations continue for the 2026 Championship.
