2020–21 NWFL Premiership

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The 2020–21 NWFL Premiership was the 31st season of Nigeria women's top-flight association football league and the first since its renaming. The season began December 9, 2020.

Nigeria Women Football League Premiership
Season2020–21
Dates9 December 2020 – 11 May 2021
ChampionsRivers Angels (7th title)
Relegated
CAF Women's Champions LeagueRivers Angels
Matches played112
Goals scored247 (2.21 per match)
Top goalscorerGift Monday (10 goals)
Biggest home winFC Robo 5–0 Royal Queens (3 March 2021)
Biggest away winRoyal Queens 1–3 Bayelsa Queens (24 March 2021)
Highest scoringRivers Angels 6–2 Delta Queens (16 December 2020)
Longest winning runBayelsa Queens & Rivers Angels (5 matches)
Longest unbeaten runRivers Angels (8 matches)
Longest winless runAbia Angels (9 matches)
Longest losing runIbom Angels (7 matches)
2019
All statistics correct as of 11 May 2021.

This season saw 14 teams competing as the number of clubs were expanded from 12. Adamawa Queens, Ibom Angels and Heartland Queens failed to meet the deadline for club licensing and registration and where subsequently relegated to the NWFL Championship.[1] They were replaced by Dream Stars Ladies and Osun Babes who were initially relegated from the 2019 season. Pro-league champions Olori Babes, were promoted and renamed Royal Queens, Pelican Stars were also promoted from the Pro-league.

On 25 April 2021, Rivers Angels won the Super Six tournament, clinching their 7th title and qualifying for the maiden CAF Women's Champions League.[2] Subsequently, on 11 May, Ibom Angels and DreamStar Ladies were confirmed relegated, the later eliminated on goal difference.

Format

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This season saw a return to the straight table format without the clubs divided into groups since the 2014 season. All 14 teams were to play each other home and away to decide the league champions.

On 5 April, the NWFL board and the 14 clubs participating in the league agreed that the top six clubs at the end of the first round would play in a "Super Six" series to determine the league champions, while the bottom four clubs at the end of the same period would battle for survival in a play-off, with the last two teams at the end of the series relegated. The decision was taken due to the inaugural CAF Women's Champions League due to begin in May, so as to enter the country's representatives.[3]

Clubs

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Team Stadium Town/City
Abia Angels Umuahia Township Stadium Port Harcourt
Bayelsa Queens Samson Siasia Stadium Yenagoa
Confluence Queens Confluence Stadium Lokoja
Delta Queens Agbor Township Stadium Agbor
Dream Stars Ladies Agege Stadium Lagos
Edo Queens University of Benin Sports Complex

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium
Benin City
Ibom Angels Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Uyo
Nasarawa Amazons F.C. Lafia Township Stadium Lafia
Osun Babes Osogbo City Stadium Osogbo
Pelican Stars U. J. Esuene Stadium Calabar
Rivers Angels Sharks Stadium Port Harcourt
Robo Legacy Pitch Lagos
Royal Queens Warri Township Stadium Warri
Sunshine Queens Akure Township Stadium Akure

Regular season

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Bayelsa Queens 13 10 1 2 24 11 +13 31 Championship play-offs
2 Delta Queens 13 9 2 2 14 8 +6 29
3 Rivers Angels 13 8 4 1 23 10 +13 28
4 Edo Queens 13 7 2 4 17 11 +6 23
5 Robo 13 7 1 5 23 13 +10 22
6 Sunshine Queens 13 6 2 5 14 7 +7 20
7 Confluence Queens 13 5 4 4 9 9 0 19
8 Osun Babes 13 5 2 6 11 11 0 17
9 Nasarawa Amazons 13 5 2 6 10 12 −2 17
10 Royal Queens 13 4 1 8 11 20 −9 13
11 Pelican Stars 13 3 3 7 10 22 −12 12 Relegation play-offs
12 Abia Angels 13 3 2 8 9 16 −7 11
13 Ibom Angels 13 3 1 9 9 17 −8 10
14 DreamStar Ladies 13 1 3 9 8 25 −17 6
Source: RSSSF

Playoffs

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Championship playoffs

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The top six teams at the end of the regular season engaged each other in a round-robin playoff between 19 and 25 April in order to decide the league champion and representative at the maiden CAF Women's Champions League. All matches were played at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification RIV DEL FCR SUN BAY EDO
1 Rivers Angels (C) 5 3 2 0 12 0 +12 11 Qualified to the CAF CL 0–0 4–0
2 Delta Queens 5 2 3 0 5 2 +3 9 0–0 0–0
3 Robo 5 2 2 1 7 2 +5 8 1–1 0–1 2–0
4 Sunshine Queens 5 2 1 2 4 8 −4 7 0–4 0–2 2–1
5 Bayelsa Queens 5 1 2 2 4 7 −3 5 0–4 1–1
6 Edo Queens 5 0 0 5 2 15 −13 0 1–2 0–4 0–3
Source: TheNWFL
(C) Champions

Relegation playoffs

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The bottom four teams at the end of the regular season engaged each other in a round-robin playoff between 8 and 11 May to decide the last two clubs to be relegated. All matches were played at the University of Benin Sports Complex in Benin City.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PEL ABI DRE IBO
1 Pelican Stars 3 1 2 0 5 3 +2 5 4–2 0–0
2 Abia Angels 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4[a] 1–1 2–3
3 DreamStar Ladies (R) 3 1 1 1 7 8 −1 4[a] Relegation to NWFL Championship 2–2
4 Ibom Angels (R) 3 0 2 1 2 3 −1 2 0–1
Source: TheNWFL
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Ranked on goal difference: Abia Angels 0, DreamStar Ladies -1.

Statistical leaders

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Top scorers

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This does not include playoffs.

Rank Player Club Goals
1   Gift Monday Robo 10
2   Reuben Charity Bayelsa Queens 8
3   Elizabeth Zirike Edo Queens 6

Hat-tricks

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Player For Against Score Date
  Gift Monday Robo Osun Babes 3–1[4] 16 December 2020

Individual awards

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Monthly awards

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Month Manager of the Month Player of the Month References
Manager Club Player Club
December   Gift Monday[5] Robo
January
February   Edwin Okon[6] Rivers Angels   Reuben Charity Bayelsa Queens

References

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  1. ^ "Adamawa Queens, Heartland Queens relegated from the NWFL". bestchoicesports. 6 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Rivers Angels win NWFL Super Six championship, qualify for CAF Women's Champions League". The Guardian. 25 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Top six clubs to fight for title as bottom eight battle relegation". TheNWFL.com. 5 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Monday Gift scores perfect hattrick as Robot Queens down Osun Babes". Brila. 17 December 2020.
  5. ^ "NWFL: GIFT NAMED PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER". Africa Top Sports. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "NWFL Premiership manager and player of February revealed". kick442.com. 20 March 2021.
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