A young Lagos side with an average squad age of 16 opens its promotion bid against seasoned opposition in Kwara Ladies on July 11.
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Ghetto Tigers Ladies manager Azeez Mustapha says hunger and determination, more than raw talent, will decide who claims the promotion slots out of a tightly contested Group D in the NWFL Championship.
Speaking in comments given exclusively to Sports247, Mustapha acknowledged the strength of the sides standing in his team’s way, naming Kwara Ladies as perennial promotion contenders with plenty of experience in the competition, Chosen Generation Angels as a side not to be underestimated, and Imo Strikers as familiar rivals his team will be facing for a third straight season.
Learning From Past Near-Misses
Mustapha reflected on Ghetto Tigers Ladies’ recent history in the Championship, recalling similar pressure during the 2024 edition staged in Calabar and a smoother but ultimately unsuccessful campaign in Abia last season, where the club narrowly missed out on one of the four available promotion tickets.
With the group opener against Kwara Ladies set for July 11, the manager said his focus was entirely on that first fixture rather than looking further down the group table, arguing that thinking too far ahead risks distracting the team from the task directly in front of them.
Youthful Squad, Big Ambitions
Despite fielding a squad with an average age of just 16, Mustapha pointed out that a good number of his players already have experience across three previous championship campaigns, and said the group’s collective will to perform remains the team’s biggest strength.
The manager closed by thanking the club’s supporters and the leadership of the Odi Olowo-Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area in Lagos for their backing, saying a promotion would reward the community’s continued support and stand as proof of what hard work and perseverance can deliver.
📌 Did You Know?
- The NWFL Championship serves as the second tier of Nigerian women’s football, feeding into the NWFL Premiership through promotion.
- Only four teams typically earn promotion tickets from the Championship’s group stages each season.
- Ghetto Tigers Ladies are based in the Odi Olowo-Ojuwoye area of Lagos State.
- This will be the third consecutive season Ghetto Tigers Ladies have faced Imo Strikers in Championship competition.
- An average squad age of 16 makes Ghetto Tigers Ladies one of the youngest sides competing for promotion this season.
- Local Council Development Areas in Lagos frequently sponsor grassroots and semi professional football clubs as community development initiatives.
