**As Rivers Angels edge Confluence Queens to finish 3rd
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
There was ecstatic scenes around the Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba on Sunday evening after Chinaza Agoh’s brace ensured that Delta Queens football club defeated former champions, Bayelsa Queens 2-1 in the final of 2023 Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) Super Six to win the coveted trophy for the first time.
Agoh whose winning goal, a solo effort came in the 86′ when she evaded all the crunchy tackles by Bayelsa Queens’ defenders to score, had earlier drew her team level in the 67′ after captain Chisom Henry scored own goal in the 14′ to give Bayelsa side an early lead.
It was a match the home team laboured to win after central defender Fehintola Mabokanje lost a penalty kick in the first half when the center referee Yemisi Akintoye of Lagos awarded a deserved foul against Bayelsa Queens’ desperate defender for shirt pulling inside the 18-yard box. Bayelsa led 1-0 at half time.
On resumption, Coach Tosan Blackson led team piled pressure on their opponents and got the equaliser via Agoh’s bicycle during a goalmouth scramble. The goal brought back life in the stadium which before now looked like a graveyard.
With both sides looking for the winning goal as the clock ticks faster, it was Agoh again who popped up to take on Bayelsa Queens players from the left side of the VIP stand, was tackled twice but she managed to curl a left-footed shot which beat goalkeeper Monle Omini, hit the upright before resting in the net.
The celebration that followed the second goal in the stadium was so electrifying that dignitaries in the VIP Box including Delta state Commissioner for Sports, Chief Tonobok Okowa and Ms Henrietta Ehiabor, Chairperson of Delta Queens went wide in jubilation.
Late rally by Coach Hakeem Busari Ishola’s team to tie the match and take it to penalty shoot-out failed as Delta Queens held on to the lead till referee Akintoye brought the epic encounter to an end.
With the victory, Delta Queens has won the NWFL Premiership for the first in 12 years and a ticket to represent Nigeria in the upcoming WAFU-B play-off West African Football Union WAFU-B play-off from where the champion team will get the ticket to play in the lucrative CAF Women’s Champions League final later in the year.
Also, the club was presented with a glittering NWFL trophy and a cash prize of N10 million naira even as Delta Queens goalkeeper Mgbechi Anderline won the Best Goalkeeper Award on the day.
Amongst the dignitaries who graced the match were the representative of the new Governor of Delta state Hon. Sheriff Oborovweri; former President of Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Pastor Solomon Ogba; General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and Directors of NFF, Ms Ruth David (Competitions) and Rafiu Yusuf (Technical)
Others are Shola Ogunowo, COO, Nationwide League; Dupe Shabi, COO of NWFL and Harry Awurumibe, former Special Adviser to NFF President on Women’s Football Affairs and ex-Super Falcons Assistant Coach, Ms Maureen Mmadu.
Meanwhile, Confluence Queens of Lokoja lost 0-2 to Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt in the 3rd Place Match played in the early afternoon on Sunday with goals from Adaobi Okah 61′ and Ikekhua Oghenebrume 68′.
