Delta Queens, who came second in the just-concluded Nigerian Women Professional League (NWPL) Super Six Championship, may still play in the WAFU Zone B qualifiers of the CAF Women Champions League. This is because Nigeria may get an additional slot n the championship, which is debuting this year.
Rivers Angels on Sunday defeated Sunshine Queens 4-0 to become Nigeria’s women league champions, a position that gives them the ticket to represent the country in CAF’s new baby, which seeks to crown the best women club in the continent.
Yesterday, Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Chairperson, Aisha Falode, revealed that CAF has decided to award an additional slot to the zone that produced the winners of the last African Women Cup of Nations for the Champions League.
“The modality for deciding who takes this slot is not known yet, but, ordinarily, Nigeria won the championship and therefore should be given the slot,” Falode said.
With their victory in the NWPL, Rivers Angels have the automatic ticket for the WAFU Zone B play-off. The winner of the zonal play off will represent the zone in the final tournament later in the year.
Meanwhile, Falode has expressed her gratitude to stakeholders, who contributed to the success of the just concluded 2021 Super Six Championship held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state.
The one-week football fiesta among the best six teams in the domestic scene, including Bayelsa Queens, Delta Queens, Rivers Angels, Edo Queens, FC Robo Queens and Sunshine Queens, was won by perennial champions and title holders, Rivers Angels.
The championship attracted the cream of Nigerian football family, including administrators, stakeholders, government bigwigs, and fans, among others.
In a statement yesterday, Falode admitted that the stakeholders contributed to the success of the competition, saying, “I want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who in one way or another contributed greatly to the successes of the just concluded NWFL Premiership Super Six Championship.
“Your kind words, encouragement and open support are simply electric and overwhelming, even your individual words to your citizens during the one week fiesta was simply infectious and reasons why we are celebrating right now. x
“We will remain eternally grateful to the host governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, the executive governor of Ogun State for the hospitality and security throughout the one-week football exercise.
“Of course, we are ever grateful to the number one sports citizen, Mr. Sunday Dare, for being there always for us. Our sincere gratitude goes to the Women Affairs Minister, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, for being a role model of womanhood.”
Falode praised NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, and the federation’s board members for their support to the women league, just as she hailed Edo State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shuaibu, his Ondo State counterpart, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Lagos State sports Commission Chairman, Sola Aiyepeku, Lagos State Sports Commission Director General, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, as well as NRA President, Tade Azeez, Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Mr. Boma Iyaye, Rivers State FA chairman, Chris Green, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, and his Delta State counterpart, Tonobok Okowa, for their encouragement and support to the women league board.
Rivers Angels won the NWFL Premiership Super Six Championship with 11 points, with second placed Delta Queens on nine points. FC Robo Queens ended the competition on eight points, Sunshine Queens were fourth with seven points, while regular season table toppers, Bayelsa Queens and Edo Queens had five and zero points respectively.
