Twelve clubs head to Abia State this month for the 2026 NWFL Nationwide Championship, with two promotion tickets to the NWFL Championship up for grabs in Aba.
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The Nigeria Women Football League has confirmed that the 2026 NWFL Nationwide Championship will be staged in Aba, Abia State, from August 15 to 23, with 12 clubs from around the country competing for a place in next season’s NWFL Championship.
The participating teams have been split into four groups of three. Group A brings together Kwara United Queens FC, Solo Wonders Babes FC and Spunky Blazers FA, while hosts C2E Sports Academy headline Group B alongside Bayelsa Princesses FC and Ogun State’s Lakeside Queens FC. Group C is made up of Onimarg FC, Ubakala Babes FC and NAF Queens FC, and Group D sees Plateau United Queens FC take on Obosa Football Academy and Osklean FC.
The nine day tournament follows a tight schedule. Teams arrive on Saturday, August 15, for a mandatory pre-match meeting, before group games run across Matchday One on August 16, Matchday Two on August 18 and the final round of group fixtures on August 19. The semifinals follow on August 21, with the two winners securing automatic promotion before facing off in the championship final on August 23.
NWFL chief operating officer Modupe Shabi described the tournament as a key part of the league’s grassroots strategy. “The NWFL Nationwide is an important component of our league structure because it provides ambitious grassroots clubs with a clear pathway to higher levels of competition,” she said, urging clubs to uphold professionalism, discipline and fair play throughout the competition. Fans following Nigeria’s women’s football pyramid can check Bet9ja’s current promo code as the tournament gets underway.
Shabi also thanked the Abia State Government and the Local Organising Committee for their support in hosting the championship, framing it as central to the NWFL’s ongoing effort to discover new talent and widen opportunities across the country.
The Nationwide Championship sits at the base of a three tier structure the NWFL put in place during a 2016 restructuring, with the winners of this tournament progressing to the second tier NWFL Championship, which then feeds into the elite NWFL Premiership. That second tier competition is being played out separately this year in Calabar, where 16 clubs are chasing two promotion spots into the Premiership for the 2026/27 season. New Bet9ja users following the wider women’s football calendar can check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the Nationwide tournament kicks off.
The stakes at the top of that pyramid give context to why the pathway matters so much. The NWFL Premiership, founded in 1990, is widely regarded as the strongest women’s league on the continent, and reigning champions Bayelsa Queens lifted a sixth title in the 2024/25 season, though Rivers Angels and Pelican Stars still hold the record for most titles won, with seven apiece.
For the 12 clubs assembling in Aba, reaching that level is still several steps away, but a strong showing over the next nine days offers a genuine route toward it. Punters tracking the promotion race can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the group stage gets going.
📌 Did You Know?
- The NWFL Premiership was founded in 1990 and is widely considered the strongest women’s football league in Africa.
- Rivers Angels and Pelican Stars share the record for most Nigerian women’s league titles, with seven apiece.
- Bayelsa Queens are the reigning NWFL Premiership champions after winning their sixth title in the 2024/25 season.
- The Nigeria Women Football League is headquartered in Abuja and is led by president Nkechi Obi.
- The NWFL’s three tier pyramid of Premiership, Championship and Nationwide divisions was put in place during a 2016 restructuring.
- The second tier NWFL Championship is being contested separately this year in Calabar, with 16 clubs chasing two promotion spots to the Premiership.
- Abia State, where Aba is located, has previously been represented at the top flight by former Premiership club Abia Angels.
