NWFL Championship Match Day One Recap: Five Wins, Two Draws
By Saheed Afolabi
The opening matches of the 2025 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship began with mixed feelings of stunning wins in Abia State. Five clubs secured wins while three games ended in a stalemate.
Hosts, Ahudiyannem Queens, Castmog Ladies, Imo Strikers, Wazbak Queens and Sunshine Queens secured convincing wins in their first game of the 2025 Championship
Ahudiyannem Queens 2-0 Pelican Stars
Ahudiyannem Queens stunned Pelican Stars 2-0 in Abriba. Two first half goals condemned former NWFL Premiership champions Pelican Stars to defeat.
Imo Strikers 4-0 Delta Babes
Imo Strikers were untop of their game as they thrashed Delta Babes in Abriba.
Osinachi Ugbala opened the floodgate of goals for Imo Strikers in the 15th minute, while Pattra Oparanmegwa scintillating hat trick in the 52, 56 and 65 minutes completed the huge win for Imo Strikers in their first encounter of the second tier of women’s football in Nigeria.
Royal Queens 0-0 Gallant Queens
Gallant Queens forced Royal Queens to a barren draw at the Williams Memorial School pitch, Afugiri, Umuahia.
Royal Queens held their ground in the first 45 minutes with series of chances wasted. While Gallant Queens had a dominant second half with their own fair share of chances while pegging their opponent to their own half. No goal separated both sides at the end of 90 minutes.
Sunshine Queens 3-0 Fortress Ladies
Aiming for a return to the Nigeria women’s topflight football league, Sunshine Queens sent a powerful message to their opponent with a fantastic 3-0 win against Fortress Ladies from the ancient city of Benin.
Oluwabunmi Adenuga 30th minute goal led by Mirabel Irawor 36th minute strike and Precious Edewor 61st minute penalty gave the Owena Mermaids a great start to life in Umuahia.
Kwara Ladies 0-0 Unification Ladies
Kwara Ladies held Unification Ladies to a goalless draw in Umuahia.
Kwara Ladies had the most of clear cut chances in the game while Unification Ladies dominated proceedings as they lost connectivity at the final third.
First Mahi Babes 1-3 Castmog Ladies
Castmog Ladies crushed First Mahi Babes 3-1 with a huge performance in Umuahia.
Castmog Ladies were the dominant side throughout the encounter while First Mahi Babes were a shadow of their outing at the previous Championship held in Calabar.
The trio of Damilola Adeyanju (12), Temitope Dosunmu (61), Zainab Odueke (90) goals convicted First Mahi Babes to a deserved defeat. The consolation goal for First Mahi Babes came through an own goal in the 52nd minute.
Chosen Generation 0-1 Wazbak Queens
The Southwest derby lives up to expectations leaving only a goal to separate both sides.
Rasheedat Lateed 20 minute goal was all Wazbak Queens needed to grind out their first win of the Championship.
Moje Queens 2-2 Ghetto Tigers Ladies
A four goal thriller provided an entertaining encounter in Abriba between Moje Queens and Ghetto Tigers Ladies.
The Pride of OdiOlowo Ojuwoye LCDA took the lead through Jade Ebube in the 18th minute, two minutes later, Tawa Mustapha equalled the score line for Moje Queens.
Mary Atume gave the Kwara based side the lead in the 50th minute only for Chidera Isaiah to bring Ghetto Tigers Ladies on level terms in the 52nd minute.
