Sports
Bayelsa To Host 2024 NWFL Super Six Tournament
The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has announced Bayelsa State as the hosts of the 2023/2024 NWFL Premiership Super Six.
The highly anticipated NWFL Premiership title championship is scheduled to run from Thursday May 16 to Sunday 26, 2023 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Bayelsa was confirmed as host by the NWFL last Tuesday following a review of bid interests from various states to stage the playoff competition.
Nkechi Obi, the NWFL chairman, said: “On behalf of the board and management of the NWFL, let me congratulate Bayelsa State for being selected as the hosts for the NWFL Premiership Super Six.”
“We hope this opportunity to host a great Super Six will further boost women’s football in Bayelsa and raise the profile of the sport in Nigeria.”
This will be the first time that the NWFL Premiership playoff tournament will be hosted by Bayelsa State. Yenagoa is also the home ground of Bayelsa Queens, who had a memorable 2022 NWFL Premiership campaign where they famously won the domestic title, WAFU-B playoff and eventually finished third at the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League held in Morocco.
Shabi said the participating clubs are expected to arrive in Yenagoa on Thursday, May 16 2024, followed by the draw and pre-match meeting to be held on Friday, May 17 from 10 am.
The playoff tournament would begin on Saturday, May 18 with Matchday One and end with the Matchday Five on Sunday, May 26. Three matches will be played on each Match Day, with breaks in between match days.
With holders Delta Queens missing out, six giants will battle for the coveted Nigerian league crown, having qualified as the top three finishers from two groups during the regular season of 14 matches.
The six teams include the host team Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Confluence Queens, Nasarawa Amazons and Heartland Queens.
In Group A, Nasarawa Amazons finished as group winners with 27 points from 14 matches, followed by Confluence Queens in second with 25 points and Heartland Queens in third with 24 points.
Sitting top in Group B was Rivers Angels with 27 points, four ahead of Edo Queens in second and Bayelsa Queens in third with 22 points from 14 games.
The title winner of this year’s Super Six tournament will represent the country in the WAFU-B qualifiers to qualify for the 4th CAF Women’s Champions League.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.
-
Opinion3 days ago
Ozoro Festival: Tradition or Tyranny?
-
News4 days agoRSG Reiterates Commitment To Youth Dev
-
News18 hours ago
Decentralizing Pipeline Surveillance Poses Greater Dangers To Niger Delta …. Group Warns
-
Rivers20 hours agoCourt Rules Out Interim Administration In Jumbo House, Bonny
-
Politics21 hours agoAPC Resumes Electronic Membership Registration Nationwide
-
Oil & Energy4 days agoTranscorp Energy, Renewvia Partner On Renewable Energy Gap
-
Politics3 days ago
RIVERS WOMEN RALLY SUPPORT, CONTINUOUS PRAYERS FOR TINUBU
-
Politics3 days ago
AKPABIO, DIRI, OBOREVWORI, OTHERS VOW TO REELECT TINUBU …AS GIADOM RETAINS APC ZONAL CHAIR