The Nigeria Women’s Football League has thrown open its mid-season transfer window, giving clubs a narrow but crucial eight-day window to reshape their squads before the second round begins on March 11.
Clubs Have Until March 4 to Strengthen Their Squads
The Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) officially opened its mid-season transfer window on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, and clubs have until Wednesday, March 4, to complete any recruitment business. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, this short window gives teams just eight days to identify, negotiate, and register new players before the league resumes.
The move is significant. With the second round of the 2025/26 NWFL Premiership season kicking off on March 11, coaches across both Group A and Group B know this is their last realistic chance to fill gaps in their squads. A wrong signing or a missed opportunity in this window could be the difference between a Super Six place and a relegation battle.
Where Things Stand After Matchday Nine
The first round of the 2025/26 NWFL Premiership concluded after nine matchdays, and the picture at the top is tight. Bayelsa Queens FC finished as Group A leaders, though goal difference separated them from Rivers Angels, who are level on points. It’s that close. In Group B, FC Robo Queens held their position at the summit despite a defeat to Nasarawa Amazons in the final matchday of the first round, which shows the race there is far from settled.
The midtable teams are where the transfer window could shake things up most. Several clubs sitting in fourth or fifth place in their groups are just one or two positions away from Super Six qualification, and one bad run of results could see them drop into relegation danger. For those clubs, this eight-day window is not a formality. It’s a lifeline.
- Transfer window open: February 25 to March 4, 2026
- Second round resumes: March 11, 2026 (Matchday 10)
- Group A leaders: Bayelsa Queens FC
- Group B leaders: FC Robo Queens
- Super Six qualification: Top 3 from each group
- Relegation: Bottom 4 teams at the end of the regular season
What’s at Stake: Super Six or Relegation
The format of the NWFL Premiership means every point in the second round carries enormous weight. Only the top three teams from each of the two groups will advance to the Super Six, the decisive phase where the season’s champions are crowned. The bottom four teams across both groups face relegation to the Championship, which is the starkest possible reminder of how unforgiving Nigerian women’s football has become.
This is exactly the kind of tense, high-stakes situation that forces clubs to act decisively in the transfer market. Coaches who sat comfortably in the first round now have to think about what happens when opponents adjust, and the familiar becomes predictable. A new striker who can change games off the bench, a commanding central defender to shore up a leaky backline, or a dynamic midfielder who can press high and create quickly: these are the kinds of additions that could shift a club’s trajectory between now and the end of the season.
Editorial Perspective
The NWFL’s decision to introduce a structured mid-season transfer window reflects the growing maturity of Nigerian women’s football administration. In previous seasons, clubs often had limited recourse when injuries or form dips hit mid-season. A defined transfer window changes that. It also sends a signal to players that their contracts and movements are managed within a formal structure, which matters for the league’s long-term credibility.
The challenge, of course, is whether clubs have the financial resources to act meaningfully within eight days. For smaller outfits without wealthy benefactors, the window may open and close without much fanfare. But for title contenders like Bayelsa Queens and FC Robo Queens, smart recruitment now could be the move that defines their season.
What Happens Next
With the window closing on March 4 and Matchday 10 beginning on March 11, clubs have about a week after registration closes to integrate any new signings before competitive football resumes. That’s tight, but not impossible. The teams that identify their targets quickly and move decisively in the opening days of the window will have the best chance of benefiting from new recruits in the second round.
For Bayelsa Queens, the goal is straightforward: protect that Group A top spot and push for the Super Six. Rivers Angels, breathing down their necks on goal difference, will be equally active in this window as they look to close the gap and perhaps overtake their rivals in the second round. In Group B, the race around FC Robo Queens is tight enough that a couple of well-chosen signings by any of their rivals could make the Super Six standings look very different by the time the dust settles.
Nigerian women’s football is in an interesting place right now. The talent pool is genuine, the competition at club level is increasingly serious, and the Super Falcons’ performances on the continental stage continue to raise the profile of the women’s game. If you’re a fan who follows the NWFL closely and also likes to stake on women’s football, Bet9ja’s current promotional offer gives new users up to ₦100,000 on their first deposit, which can be applied across women’s football markets as the season heats up.
All eyes now turn to March 11, when the second round gets underway, and the NWFL title race enters its most critical phase.
📌 Did You Know?
- The NWFL Premiership operates with a two-group format: Group A and Group B each run nine matchdays in the first round, followed by a nine-matchday second round before the Super Six.
- FC Robo Queens, based in Lagos, are one of Nigerian women’s football’s most decorated clubs and have historically been among the most active recruiters during transfer windows.
- Bayelsa Queens FC are backed by the Bayelsa State Government and have emerged as one of the strongest state-sponsored women’s clubs in Nigeria in recent years.
- Rivers Angels, who are level on points with Bayelsa Queens at the top of Group A, are the women’s football arm of Rivers State FA and have won the NWFL title multiple times in the league’s history.
- The NWFL Premiership mid-season transfer window is separate from the main pre-season window and is specifically designed to give clubs a short recruitment opportunity at the halfway stage of the campaign.
- Nasarawa Amazons, who defeated FC Robo Queens on the final Matchday Nine to tighten the Group B race, have been one of the surprise packages of the 2025/26 NWFL season.
- Nigerian women’s club football feeds directly into the Super Falcons pipeline, with NWFL Premiership performances often influencing Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu’s selection decisions for international fixtures.
