Nigerian Football
Exciting Start to FCT FA Inter-Area Councils Women’s Tournament as AMAC, Kwali Secure Opening Day Wins
The much-anticipated FCT FA Inter-Area Councils Women’s Football Tournament kicked off in grand style, with impressive wins recorded by AMAC and Kwali in their respective opening fixtures on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Organized by the FCT Football Association through its Women’s Football Committee, the tournament’s maiden edition is designed to promote talent discovery and gender inclusion in football across all six Area Councils.
In the opening fixtures, AMAC recorded a 2-0 victory over Bwari at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Practice Pitch, while Kwali triumphed with a 9-1 win over Abaji at the Abaji Football Pitch.
Speaking as a special guest after the kick-off match at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kayode Adeniyi, General Manager of NTA Sports, lauded the initiative.
“This tournament is a bold and timely intervention in the effort to give the girl-child a voice through sport. What we are witnessing is not just football—it’s social impact, community building, and youth engagement rolled into one,” former Chairman of FCT SWAN said.
“Special commendation goes to Pat Ajuma Ayegba for her innovation and personal investment in girl-child talent development. Her passion and drive have not only birthed this historic tournament but have also revived the long-dormant FCT FA Women’s Football League. She’s changing the narrative.
“I also call on the media to throw their weight fully behind this initiative. These girls deserve the spotlight just as much as any other athletes.”
Patrick Bassey, FCT FA Board Member and Chairman of the Technical Committee praised the quality of play and emphasized the long-term vision.
“We saw not just goals today but glimpses of future stars. The FCT FA remains committed to building a strong foundation for women’s football through structured competitions like this. The technical team is closely monitoring talents that can progress to the league and national level,” Bassey said.
FCT FA Board member and chairman of the women’s football committee, Pat Ajuma Ayegba, expressed her pride in the successful kick-off.
“Today marks the beginning of a dream—to take football to every girl on every street and in every school,” the former footballer, who bankrolled the grants to the participating Area Councils, said.
“I’m proud of the dedication from our teams and grateful to the FCT FA and partners for believing in this vision. This tournament is just the first of many platforms we’re building for young girls to shine.”
The tournament will continue over the coming weeks with home-and-away fixtures across all Area Councils, with the top two teams progressing to the semi-final, culminating in a grand finale to crown the champions of this historic inaugural edition.
Action continues on Saturday as Bwari hosts Gwagwalada, while Abaji will be on the road again to face Kwali on the same day.
Two days later, Kuje will welcome Abaji, while AMAC will be guests to Gwagwalada—both matches are scheduled for Monday, April 14.
Opening Day Results:
- AMAC 2–0 Bwari (Venue: Moshood Abiola Practice Pitch)
- Abaji 1–9 Kwali (Venue: Abaji Football Pitch)
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The Nigeria U17 women’s team has been given incentives to make it to the Women’s World Cup for the eighth time.
The team, Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname.
Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4 million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2 million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal).
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday.
“Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation.
“Yet, we have been further incentivised by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield.
Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start.
The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official, respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2.
Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be the commissioner, and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.
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Former president of the initially 15-member West African Football Union (WAFU), Chief Jonathan Boytie Ogufere, has expressed his heartfelt condolences over the recent death of former national team captain and coach, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
He remarked that the erstwhile Enugu Rangers’ defence stalwart will ‘be dearly missed’. In a personally signed letter of condolence, Ogufere described Chukwu, who died on Saturday, April 12, in Enugu after a brief illness at 74, as a ‘hero of our time and a friend’.
The nonagenarian recalled with nostalgia how he nearly recruited the young Chukwu for his P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu, adding he was impressed with how the ‘Field Marshal Christian Chukwuemeka ‘Chairman ‘ Chukwu (MFR), conducted himself throughout his career as he led both the national team, the then Green Eagles and his beloved Enugu Rangers to many conquests.
“I join numerous others to mourn the transition of the legendary Christian Chukwu, a hero of our time and friend,” the Ugbugba of Okpe Kingdom wrote.
“As one of the young academicals discovered after the end of the Civil War in 1970, I tried to enlist into my club, the P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu but he was fair and frank in informing me that he had already joined Enugu Ranges Football Club, and I respected that attitude. From the rivalries between the two clubs, his exploits as a central defender were very visible.”
He continued: “Christian Chukwu emerged at the national level as a trustworthy and formidable captain of the national team who led by example.
“He was one of the heroes during the Golden age of Nigerian football when I was one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Football Association under the chairmanship of Chief Sunday Dankaro as Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 for the first time where Christian Chukwu as captain of the Green Eagles was declared the best player of the tournament. He led the national team in several battles, which endeared him to millions of football lovers.
“After his playing days, he showed his talents through coaching in Nigeria and abroad.
“I express my sincere condolences to the family he left behind, the football family and the country in general. He will be dearly missed.
“May the good Lord grant his noble soul eternal rest,” he noted.
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Remo Stars are coasting to what will be their greatest moment ever, a win of the Nigeria Premier Football League title, as they recorded a 1-0 win over Shooting Stars in Ibadan in a match played behind closed doors.
In doing so, they achieved their sixth double of the season, having earlier beaten Shooting Stars in the first stanza of the league.
They maintained the seven-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who also beat Sunshine Stars 1-0 in Port Harcourt.
After a ding-dong affair, Alex Oyowah scored the vital goal for Remo Stars from a right-wing cross from Ismail Sodiq.
In another match, Ikorodu City continued to work tenaciously to obtain a continental ticket as they held El Kanemi to a 1-1 draw.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- El Kanemi 1-1 Ikorodu City
- Niger Tornados 1-1 Bayelsa United
- Heartland 0-0 Kwara United
- Plateau United 1-0 Akwa United
- Rivers United 1-0 Sunshine Stars
- Shooting Stars 0-1 Remo Stars
- Bendel United 1-1 Nasarawa United
SATURDAY
- Katsina United 0-0 Abia Warriors
- Enyimba 2-1 Kano Pillars
- Lobi Stars 2-4 Enugu Rangers
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