Sports

2020/2021 League Season: NWFL Picks Dec 9 Kick- Off Date

Published

6 years ago

November 23, 2020

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has picked December 9 as the kick- off date for the 2020/ 2021 premiereship season, across the country.
The women League’s Management Board has said that the date would not be changed as the draws for the 2020/2021 gets closer. The Chief Operating Officer of the League, Mrs Faith Ben-Anuge, in a statement said that the board will soon embark on official inspection of all the designated league venues a cross the country to ensure that all venues are ready for the task ahead.
Anuge, however said that as the deadline for registration for the NWFL Championship and nationwide League closes, more Nigerian women clubs have indicated interest in participating in two tiers of the league.
Earlier, the leadership of the Nigeria Women Football League headed by Aisha Falode, has applauded the management of two NWFL Premiership clubs, former champions, Nazarawa Amazons and Edo Queens Football Club, for beating the deadline for club licensing registration and doing all due diligence ahead of the 2020/21 league season.
Falode, commended the leadership of the two clubs whose actions demonstrated their readiness to take the new season by storm.
“These are two top clubs that just rebuilt the leadership of their club managements to reflect the seriousness of the two state governments in the business of women football.
“Nazarawa and the Edo State government are no doubt in the forefront of women’s football club management in Nigeria. What they just did was sending messages out to other states and privately-owned clubs in the NWFL Premiership, that they are out for a big deal this season. Especially, as all the clubs are top contenders for the inuagural CAF Women Champions League in 2021.
“We in the NWFL salute the two states government for living up to expectations in the Club Licencing / Registration of the clubs. What this tells us is that, the newly adopted straight league would be very interesting as other clubs are putting in extra efforts to make sure they beat the deadline before the expiration,” Falode added
Anuge noted that: “Four new teams have joined the old four in the division to increase the number to a total eight, that would eventually play in the new season, while in the Nationwide, there are a total 20 clubs newly registered in all. This she added was a mark improvement over the previous seasons.
The NWFL Premiership will open on December 9, with matches in Lafia, Yola, Lokoja, Lagos, Yenagoa, Benin City, Umuahia and Osogbo.
Week 1þã Fixtures of the 2020/2021 NWFL Premiership.
(Weds, December 9th, 2020.)
1. Nasarawa Amazons < FCRobo Queens.
2. Adamawa Queens < Rivers Angels
3. Confluence Queens < Ibom Angels
4. Dreams Stars < Delta Queens
5. Bayelsa Queens < Pelican Stars
6. Edo Queens < Royal Queens
7. Abia Angels < Osun Babes
8. Sunshine Queens < Heartland Queens.

By: Nancy Briggs

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

3 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

5 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

5 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.