NWFL Championship: Coach Lawal Speaks on Moje Queens' Calls for Review of Competition For ‎

‎Moje Queens FC ended their Group B campaign at the 2026 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship with a narrow 1-0 defeat to hosts Pelican Stars FC on Tuesday at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, bringing their hopes of securing promotion to the NWFL Premiership to an end.

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‎The only goal of the encounter came in the 27th minute when Peace Ewa found the back of the net to hand Pelican Stars a hard-fought victory. Despite creating several opportunities in search of an equaliser, Moje Queens were unable to break down the hosts' defence as the match ended 1-0 in favour of the Cross River side.

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‎Speaking during the post-match press conference, Head Coach Lawal Mashood Kehinde thanked God for the team's performance despite the disappointing result. He admitted that losing the match was never part of the team's game plan, stressing that the objective was to secure victory and advance in the competition.

‎The coach, however, commended his players for their determination and fighting spirit throughout the encounter.

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‎He noted that the team gave everything on the pitch, even though their efforts were not enough to avoid defeat. Coach Lawal also expressed reservations about the standard of officiating, describing it as discouraging, but declined to dwell on the issue. According to him, his side created enough chances to earn at least a draw, making the defeat even more painful.

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‎Looking ahead, the tactician said Moje Queens would immediately return to the drawing board to assess their performance and begin preparations for future competitions. He explained that the club still has other tournaments scheduled later this month and in December, which will provide additional opportunities for thea players to improve and remain competitive.

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‎Coach Lawal expressed confidence that the team would return stronger next season, noting that most of his players are young, academically inclined footballers who remain together in camp and train consistently. He said the club's long-term objective is to continue developing its players and build a squad capable of competing successfully at the highest level of women's football in Nigeria.

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‎The Moje Queens coach also joined other clubs in calling for a review of the current NWFL Championship format. He argued that the present structure, where teams play only three group-stage matches before the tournament ends, does not provide adequate value considering the significant financial commitments made by participating clubs, including registration, medicals, logistics, and other expenses.

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‎He proposed that future editions of the Achampionship should adopt a zonal format, allowing clubs to compete on a home-and-away basis, similar to the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NNLO). According to him, extending the duration of the competition would improve competitiveness, enhance player development, and provide clubs with a fairer opportunity to fight for promotion.

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‎Although Moje Queens FC's quest for promotion ended with the defeat to Pelican aStars, the club remains optimistic about the future. With a youthful squad, an ambitious technical crew, and plans to compete in more tournaments before the end of the year, the Erinle-based side is determined to build on the lessons from this year's championship and return stronger in the next edition.