Bayelsa Queens Football Club of Yenagoa have emerged the Nigeria Women Premier League champions for the 2017/2018 season after defeating Nasarawa Amazons 2-0 at the Agege Stadium on Sunday, 27th of January 2019 in the final of the Super 4 Play off.
This is coming 11 years after an elusive chase for the title by the club (Bayelsa Queens).
Bayelsa started on the front foot, with the striking trio of Charity Reuben, Joy Bokiri and Tessy Biahwo in the thick of the action but the Mariam Ibrahim-led defence stood resilient.
The Lafia based ladies troubled Bayelsa with the duo of Abiodun Deborah and Aishat Bello but both sides lacked the cutting edge as the first 45 minutes ended in a drab goalless draw.
After the restart, the Bayelsa side took control of the game and saw their dominance rewarded in the 58th minute when Uzoamaka Igwe broke the deadlock.
Three minutes later, Bokiri doubled her side’s lead in what guaranteed their victory after they superbly thwarted late efforts from their foes to secure their first league crown since 2007.
On account of being champions for overall fourth time, Bayelsa Queens received a cash prize of three million Naira, while runners-up Nasarawa Amazons got two million Naira.
Earlier, Sunshine Queens defeated reigning Federation Cup champions Rivers Angels 1-0 to place third in the Super Four tournament and they went home with a million Naira.
The body described the victory as a huge tonic to football fans and the people of the state, while commending the technical crew and management of the club for their resilience and unparalleled commitment.
Nasarawa Amazons were the champions of the 2016/2017 Nigeria Women Premier League.
For emerging champions of the 2018 National Women Premier League (NWPL) Super Four Championship, Bayelsa Queens Football Club has been rewarded by Governor Seriake Dickson with ₦22 million, which would be shared among the players and officials.
Directing the Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr. Perekiye Buruboyefe, to ensure that the players got ₦500,000 each, the governor also assented to the request from the club’s chairman, Mr. Ebiki Timitimi, for a Coaster bus, as well as monthly stipends for the feeder team players. He promised continuous support for the team, even as he assured that his administration prioritised sports development with a view to taking it to enviable heights.
