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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The 2022 Annual General Meeting and Congress of the Nigeria Women Football League 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 opportunities offered by the game to make something meaningful of 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 Sport Development, Daniel Igali, noted that Bayelsa State had in the last two years experienced a revolution in sports owing to the support of the Governor Diri’s administration, with Bayelsa Queens emerging Nigeria Women Federation Cup winners and the Nigeria Women Football League Premiership Super Six champions.
Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League Board, Aisha Falode, said the NWFL Congress was an opportunity for key actors to assess the 2021/2022 football season while setting 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 football clubs from all the tiers of leagues across the country, board members, administrators and other stakeholders attended the AGM and congress of the NWFL.
Meantime, The Nigeria Women Football League Congress which took place in Yenagoa has approved September 14, 2022 as the kick off date for the 2022/2023 season of NWFL Premiership 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 Premiership League 2022/2023 will be played on abridged format of two groups A and B of 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, just as it was done in the previous season.
It was agreed that clubs comply with international best practices in areas of players’ welfare and remuneration.
Congress further 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.
It also 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, and 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, in a friendly match between two Nigeria Women Football League Premiership sides, Bayelsa Queens and Nasarawa Amazons, on Saturday ended in a barren draw.