By Goal.com News on Thursday, 08 April 2021
Category: Goal.com News

Six Nigerian clubs battle for two Caf Women's Champions League tickets in Ijebu Ode

Samuel Ahmadu

Africa Women's Football Correspondent

The Nigeria women's league body has revealed that the six-team tournament will be used instead of the regular format

Six Nigerian Women's Premier League teams will lock horns at the Super Six tournament which will be held to decide the champion of the 2020/21 season from April 19-25 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Bayelsa Queens, Delta Queens, Rivers Angels, Edo Queens, FC Robo and Sunshine Queens will participate in the competition having finished in the top six of the NWPL table after 13 games.

In a statement, the NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi announced that the seven-day event will be played at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium Agege Stadium, with participating clubs expected to arrive on Sunday, 24 hours to kick-off.

The schedule also confirms that the top six clubs will play five matches each during the tournament, with three matches scheduled to take place on the opening matchday, Monday, April 19.

The second round of three matches will be held on Tuesday, April 20, and Wednesday, April 21 will be a rest day for all six clubs, while the third round of three fixtures resuming on Thursday, April 22.

The fourth round continues on Friday, April 23 before another rest on Saturday, April 24, while the final round of games of the round-robin competition, comes up on Sunday, April 25. 

The decision to determine the champion and relegated teams by playoffs were announced by Aisha Falode headed by the Nigeria Women Football League, following a virtual vote by the 14 top-flight clubs. 

The development became necessary as the country raced against time to submit its representatives for the Caf Women's Champions League, resolving for a Super Six and eight-team relegation play-off.

"The clubs rallied round and called for a meeting where their decisions were put to votes leading to the early conclusion of the season to enable Nigeria present representatives for the Caf Women Champions League," Falode told media.  

"This has been the dream of women's football players, club owners, the media and other proponents, for so many years. The result of this is the re-emergence of the Super Six after an earlier decision to play a straight league of 13 matches over 26 weeks. 

"I wish the six clubs; Bayelsa Queens, Delta Queens, Rivers Angels, Edo Queens, FC Robo and Sunshine Queens, good luck as they battle for the title and tickets for the Caf Women Champions League."

Nigeria will present two teams in the maiden edition of the Caf Women's Champions League, having claimed the wild card entry, as the reigning Africa Women's Cup of Nations champions, Goal can exclusively confirm.

This also means the Nigerian winner at the Super Six will earn an automatic ticket to the final phase of the competition, while the runners-up will play in the zonal qualifier for a ticket to the final.

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Original author: Samuel Ahmadu
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