Champions League: Bayelsa Queens to begin quest for trophy in WAFU B qualifiers in August
Nigeria Women’s Football League champions Bayelsa Queens will begin their campaign for a second continental appearance at the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League through the WAFU B zonal qualifiers, which will be staged in Ivory Coast from August 9 to 24.
The confirmation by the West Africa Football Union Zone B, which announced the official date and venue of the regional qualifiers for the fifth edition of the competition, was published by the Ghana Football Association.
According to a statement made available to the GFA from the WAFU B Secretariat, “The West Africa Football Union Zone B has officially announced the date and venue for the 2025 WAFU B Women’s Champions League qualifying tournament. According to a notice from the WAFU B Secretariat, the tournament will be held in Ivory Coast from Saturday, August 9 to Sunday, August 24, 2025.”
Bayelsa Queens, popularly known as the Prosperity Girls, will become the first Nigerian club to appear twice at the WAFU B qualifiers, having debuted in 2022 when they went on to win the tournament.
The Yenagoa-based side defeated Burkina Faso’s US Forces Armées 3–1 in the 2022 final and went on to claim a historic third-place finish at the CAF Women’s Champions League finals in Morocco, the best performance by a Nigerian team in the competition to date.
This year, Bayelsa Queens qualified for the WAFU B event as winners of the 2024–25 Nigeria Women’s Football League Premiership Super Six Playoffs, sealing the title after a dominant campaign under head coach Whyte Ogbonda.
The upcoming qualifiers in Ivory Coast will serve as the gateway to the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League final tournament, with only the winners earning the region’s sole ticket.
Edo Queens are the reigning WAFU B champions, having defeated Benin Republic’s Ainonvi FC 3–0 in the 2024 final, also held in Ivory Coast. They advanced to the final tournament in Morocco, finishing in fourth place.
This year’s qualifiers will mark the fifth edition of the WAFU B Women’s Champions League tournament, which has become a critical pathway for clubs from West Africa to reach the continental stage.
