NWFL Premiership Final Day Drama: Edo, Bayelsa, and Rivers vie for glory

The final matchday of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership Super Six promises high drama as the title race comes to a thrilling conclusion in Yenagoa on Sunday.

At the Samson Siasia Stadium in Bayelsa State capital, hosts Bayelsa Queens will host Edo Queens in a pivotal clash that could determine the league champions. Edo Queens lead the table with nine points, while Bayelsa Queens sit third, just one point behind and level with second-placed Rivers Angels.

Concurrently, Heartland Queens will face Rivers Angels by 12pm at the Nembe City Stadium, where Rivers Angels must win and hope for favourable results elsewhere to reclaim the title.

Bayelsa Queens vs Edo Queens

One of the title-deciding clashes on the final matchday of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership Super Six will see two South-South giants square off in Yenegoa on Sunday.

Edo Queens sit at the top of the table with nine points ahead of this crucial match, while hosts Bayelsa Queens are in third place, just one point behind the leaders and level on points with second-placed Rivers Angels. This sets up a dramatic photo finish to the end of the season.

The game will be played concurrently with Heartland Queens’ encounter against Rivers Angels at the Nembe City Stadium, but both Bayelsa Queens and Edo Queens must focus on their performances regardless of results elsewhere.

Three teams have a chance of winning the title depending on their results. Both teams need a win, but their paths to victory differ. For Moses Aduku’s Edo Queens, a win here will secure their maiden league title, irrespective of other results. Aduku, the former Bayelsa Queens coach, previously won the title with the Prosperity Girls in Benin City, the home ground of Edo Queens.

On the other hand, Domo Okara’s Bayelsa Queens need not only to win this clash but to do so convincingly. They must also hope that Rivers Angels do not win their match against Heartland Queens by a large margin to reclaim the title on home soil.

Bayelsa Queens have a superior head-to-head record over their rivals with seven wins from their past nine games, while Edo Queens have managed just one win and one draw.

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 0-0 draw in Benin City during the regular season, marking the first stalemate in nine encounters.

Heartland Queens vs Rivers Angels

The second title-deciding clash on the final matchday of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership Super Six will see Heartland Queens take on former league winners, Rivers Angels, at the Nembe City Stadium in Nembe, Bayelsa State, on Sunday.

Second-placed Rivers Angels, led by Ogbonda Whyte, hope to defeat Obi Ogbala’s Heartland to stand a chance of reclaiming the league title if Edo Queens and Bayelsa Queens falter in Yenegoa.

The Jewels of Rivers, alongside Bayelsa’s Prosperity Girls, are yet to taste defeat at the 2023/2024 Super Six, maintaining four-game unbeaten streaks after both lost their final regular season games to Ekiti Queens and FC Robo Queens, respectively.

Heartland Queens, who surprisingly forced hosts Bayelsa Queens to a 0-0 draw in their last game, will hope to replicate the same feat against another South-South side aiming to win the league title.

Irrespective of the result here, the Owerri-based outfit will hold their heads high after their maiden appearance at the Super Six.

For the first time in recent NWFL history, the league title is being decided on the final matchday, signifying the competitive nature of an unpredictable season that started with a 0-0 draw between holders Delta Queens and debutants Ekiti Queens in Ado Ekiti.

Heartland Queens are searching for their first win over Rivers Angels in their last four games, a feat they hope to achieve after their latest stunning draw with Bayelsa Queens.

The Port Harcourt-based Rivers Angels have a superior head-to-head record with three wins from the last four meetings. The last two encounters between both sides saw a goal from Chiamaka Okwuchukwu during the 2022/2023 campaign.

With a competitive season culminating in a thrilling final matchday, both teams will be eager to end on a high note, making this encounter a must-watch for NWFL fans.

Confluence Queens vs Nasarawa Amazons

Confluence Queens will face Nasarawa Amazons in the final game of Matchday Five of the 2023/24 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership Super Six in a match without title implications at Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Sunday.

This match will precede the crowning of the league winners following the conclusion of the title-deciding games in Yenagoa and Nembe City.

Pride is at stake for both the fourth and fifth-placed teams. A win or draw for Confluence Queens will secure their fourth position on the log, mirroring their finish in the 2022/23 season behind Delta Queens, Bayelsa Queens, and Rivers Angels.

Both teams aim to close out a competitive and unpredictable season with a victory. Christopher Danjuma’s Nasarawa Amazons seek their first win of the Super Six before returning to Lafia, while Sabo Okala’s Confluence Queens aim to solidify their fourth position against their North Central rivals, a team they have a slight head-to-head advantage over in their last nine meetings.

Confluence Queens have won four of the last nine encounters with Nasarawa Amazons, who have won three, with two matches ending in draws.

During the regular season, both teams qualified from Group A and met twice, with the matches producing a goal from Ojiyovwi Kesiena, while their last meeting in Iyahmo, Edo State ended in a 0-0 draw.

Both teams will be eager to end their Super Six campaign on a high note, making this encounter one to watch as they battle for regional pride and positioning on the league table.

Samuel Ahmadu, NWFL Media