Benue Joins Other States With Men's And Women's Football Clubs In Top Flight Leagues

Benue Joins Other States With Men's And Women's Football Clubs In Top Flight Leagues

By Admin

Ahead of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership campaign for the 2024/2025 season, the league has approved the renaming of Honey Badgers FC of Makurdi to Benue Queens.

This latest development is coming after the successful takeover of the formerly privately owned club by the Benue State Government.

Benue Queens will take over all fixtures, points, and standings previously held by Honey Badgers in the NWFL Premiership with immediate effect ahead of the league opener next week Wednesday.

Commenting on the development, the NWFL Chief Operating Officer (COO), Modupe Shabi said: “After submitting to the very rigorous process put in place to ensure that only serious, business-minded individuals and corporate groups are admitted to club ownership, the NWFL is satisfied that the Benue State Government has substantially met all requirements and has been granted approval to take over Honey Badgers.”

She further lauded the potential positive impact of the transition: “The Benue State Government has demonstrated its commitment to operating and funding the club in line with NWFL regulations, which are designed to protect the integrity of the league and safeguard the interests of players and other stakeholders involved in the NWFL.”

The takeover comes after Honey Badgers secured a historic promotion to the top flight at the end of the 2024 NWFL Championship in Calabar, Cross Rivers State capital.

The promotion raised concerns over the ownership of the club as Naija Ratels FC, which is also in the top flight is owned by the former owner of the team (Barrister Paul Edeh).

The Makurdi-based outfit will face tough competition from seasoned teams, including Naija Ratels, Ibom Angels, Adamawa Queens, Delta Queens, Bayelsa Queens, and Rivers Angels in Group B.

Their campaign will kick off with a highly anticipated clash against the formidable Robo Queens in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on January 15, 2025, marking their debut in Nigeria’s top-flight women’s league.

This marked a new dawn in the history of women’s football in Benue State as Benue Queens will compete in the women’s top-flight league similar to their men’s counterparts, Lobi Stars, in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Teams like Bayelsa Queens and Bayelsa United, Rivers Angels and Rivers United, Edo Queens and Bendel Insurance, Heartland Queens and Heartland FC, Abia Angels and Enyimba FC, Nasarawa Amazons and Nasarawa United, Remo Stars, and Remo Stars Ladies as well as Ibom Angels and Akwa United have men and women’s football teams in the top flight.