2020–21 NWFL Premiership

Nigeria Women Football League Premiership
Season	2020–21
Dates	9 December 2020 – 11 May 2021
Champions	Rivers Angels (7th title)
Relegated	; DreamStar Ladies;
CAF Women's Champions League	Rivers Angels
Matches played	112
Goals scored	247 (2.21 per match)
Top goalscorer	Gift Monday (10 goals)
Biggest home win	FC Robo 5–0 (3 March 2021)
Biggest away win	Royal Queens 1–3 Bayelsa Queens (24 March 2021)
Highest scoring	Rivers Angels 6–2 Delta Queens (16 December 2020)
Longest winning run	Bayelsa Queens & Rivers Angels (5 matches)
Longest unbeaten run	Rivers Angels (8 matches)
Longest winless run	(9 matches)
Longest losing run	(7 matches)
	← 2019 2021–22 → All statistics correct as of 11 May 2021.

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.

This season saw 14 teams competing as the number of clubs were expanded from 12. , and 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 , 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, and DreamStar Ladies were confirmed relegated, the later eliminated on goal difference.

Format[]

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[]

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

Regular season[]

Pos	Team v t	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		13	4	1	8	11	20	−9	13
11	Pelican Stars	13	3	3	7	10	22	−12	12	Relegation play-offs
12		13	3	2	8	9	16	−7	11
13		13	3	1	9	9	17	−8	10
14	DreamStar Ladies	13	1	3	9	8	25	−17	6

Source: RSSSF

Playoffs[]

Championship playoffs[]

The top six teams at the end of the regular season engaged themselves in a round-robin playoff between 19 to 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
1	Rivers Angels	5	3	2	0	12	0	+12	11	Champion/Qualified to the CAF CL
2	Delta Queens	5	2	3	0	5	2	+3	9
3	Robo	5	2	2	1	7	2	+5	8
4	Sunshine Queens	5	2	1	2	4	8	−4	7
5	Bayelsa Queens	5	1	2	2	4	7	−3	5
6	Edo Queens	5	0	0	5	2	15	��13	0

Source: TheNWFL

Home \ Away	BAY	DEL	EDO	RIV	FCR	SUN
Bayelsa Queens				0–4		1–1
Delta Queens	0–0			0–0
Edo Queens	0–3	1–2			0–4
Rivers Angels			4–0		0–0
Robo	2–0	1–1				0–1
Sunshine Queens		0–2	2–1	0–4

Source: TheNWFL

Relegation playoffs[]

The bottom four teams at the end of the regular season engaged themselves in a round-robin playoff between 8 to 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
1	Pelican Stars	3	1	2	0	5	3	+2	5
2		3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4^[a]
3	DreamStar Ladies	3	1	1	1	7	8	−1	4^[a]	Relegation to NWFL Championship
4		3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	2	Relegation to NWFL Championship

Source: TheNWFL
Notes:

^ ^a ^b Ranked on goal difference: Abia Angels 0, DreamStar Ladies -1.

Home \ Away		DRE		PEL
		2–3		1–1
DreamStar Ladies			2–2
	0–1
Pelican Stars		4–2	0–0

Source: TheNWFL

Statistical leaders[]

Top scorers[]

As of 23 April 2021

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

Hat-tricks[]


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

Individual awards[]

Monthly awards[]

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

References[]

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

External links[]

Official website
NWFL Premiership 2020/21 at RSSF

[table_hth_ABI0.09289291924466-4] Ranked on goal difference: Abia Angels 0, DreamStar Ladies -1.

[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.

[5] "Monday Gift scores perfect hattrick as Robot Queens down Osun Babes". Brila. 17 December 2020.

[6] "NWFL: GIFT NAMED PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER". Africa Top Sports. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.

[7] "NWFL Premiership manager and player of February revealed". kick442.com. 20 March 2021.

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