Heartland Queens and Amazons Set Up Fed Cup Final in Asaba

Heartland Queens and Nasarawa Amazons will contest the final of the 2026 Women’s President’s Federation Cup after both clubs won dramatic semi-final ties in Enugu on Wednesday, FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports. Heartland Queens beat FC Robo Queens 2-1 in the first semi final to book their place in the showpiece event, while Nasarawa Amazons survived ten minutes of controversy, a late equaliser and stoppage time heartache for Sunshine Queens to win 2-1 in the second tie. The final is scheduled for July 11 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, where the two clubs will meet in a match that carries the weight of Nigerian women’s football history on its shoulders as neither side has previously won the competition.

For Nasarawa Amazons coach Chris Danjuma, the result was the vindication of a pre-match confidence he had expressed publicly. Speaking ahead of the tie, he said his side believed in their quality and their ability to achieve their objective regardless of the opponent. They did exactly that, though it required every bit of resilience in their squad to see it through. Women’s football fans heading to Asaba for the July 11 final can also check the Bet9ja promo code on FootballInNigeria.com.ng ahead of the showpiece event.

How Nasarawa Amazons Won Through Chaos

The Nasarawa-Sunshine semi final was the game of the day and arguably the most dramatic tie of the entire competition. Ayatsea Hembafan opened the scoring for Nasarawa Amazons in the 18th minute, but the goal immediately ignited a furore. Sunshine Queens players and officials protested vigorously, arguing that the ball had not fully crossed the goal line before being cleared by their goalkeeper. The assistant referee on that side of the pitch ruled otherwise, confirming the ball had crossed the line and instructing the referee to allow the goal. The protests did not stop there. The demonstration from Sunshine Queens was intense enough to halt play for more than ten minutes as officials and players sought to restore order on the pitch.

When the match resumed, Nasarawa Amazons held their advantage through the remainder of the first half and for most of the second, the lead seemingly secure as the clock ran into the final minutes. Sunshine Queens, however, found an equaliser in the 90th minute, the kind of late blow that can destroy a team’s composure entirely. Instead, Nasarawa regrouped in the brief moments before the fourth official’s board went up. In the fourth minute of added time, defender Jumoke Alani found the net to restore the Lafia club’s lead and end the tie 2-1. Sunshine Queens had no time to respond. Nasarawa Amazons are through, and they did it the hard way. New users wanting to follow the final and other women’s football fixtures can use the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome code before the July 11 showdown in Asaba.

Heartland Queens Keep Their Nerve Against Robo

While the Nasarawa tie descended into controversy, the other semi final was its own test of nerves. Heartland Queens, the Owerri based club making their deepest run in the President’s Federation Cup in several seasons, edged FC Robo Queens 2-1 in a composed but hard-fought encounter. Robo Queens, who had eliminated the defending champions Rivers Angels in the quarter finals, came into the semi final as a genuine threat. Heartland’s ability to take and hold a 2-1 advantage against a side that had already demonstrated it could beat the competition’s most decorated club showed both resilience and tactical clarity from their coaching staff.

The win sends Heartland Queens into their first Women’s President’s Federation Cup final, a historic moment for the Imo State club and for women’s football in Nigeria’s southeast football community. The final against Nasarawa Amazons will be a clash between two clubs for whom this is the biggest match in their history at this level of the competition, and both will arrive in Asaba on July 11 knowing that the trophy is within reach for the first time.

The Final on July 11: What Is at Stake

The Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba will host both the women’s and men’s President’s Federation Cup finals on July 11, a double-header that makes the day one of the most significant in Nigerian domestic cup football in recent memory. On the men’s side, Ikorodu City face El-Kanemi Warriors. On the women’s side, Heartland Queens take on Nasarawa Amazons. Neither the Owerri club nor the Lafia side has won the competition before, so July 11 is guaranteed to produce a first time women’s cup winner.

Nasarawa Amazons arrive as the team with the most recent experience of this stage, having been runners up in the 2025 final. That near-miss is precisely the kind of motivation that can sharpen a squad for a second attempt. Heartland Queens arrive as the fresh face in the final, with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Whatever happens on the day, Nigerian women’s football gets a new name on the President’s Federation Cup trophy. Bet9ja’s promo code for today is available for fans looking to place a prediction on which club lifts the trophy in Asaba.