By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Head Coach of Rivers Angels Football Club and his team are set to create history of their own if the club beats rivals, Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana in Thursday’s epic final to win the Women’s Champions League (WCL) West African Football Union (WAFU-B) qualifying tournament in Cote D’Ivoir.
The encounter which is slated for the artificial turf of Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan by 3pm local time has pitched two clubs representing two West African nations that have been playing organised women’s football competitions for three decades.
Interestingly, Rivers Angels defeated Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in the first Group B tie a week ago and are primed to repeat that feat, all things being equal, when both meet again in the final game.
But all eyes will be on Coach Okon who has been with the Port Harcourt-based club for over a decade and has won an average of one domestic trophy for the club for that period starting in 2012, hence he is expected to lead his team to lift WAFU-B trophy in Abidjan.
The former Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s football team, Super Falcons, who won the African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2014 in Namibia and also led the Falconets (U-20) to fourth position in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final in Japan, is not new to a big stage like the WAFU-B final match.
The Cross River state-born tactician has seen “100”, literarily speaking, so “99” will not be a problem for him even as he has enough quality players to deliver the goods like they have done in three past matches they have played within one week.
Coach Okon has piloted Rivers Angels to thrash AS Police of Niger 5-0 in the second Group B match while they also walloped Amis du Monde of Togo 5-0 in the semi final clash to qualify for Thursday’s final match against Hasaacas Ladies.
Worthy of mention here is goalpoacher, Maryann Ezenagu who is the leading goalscorer with five goals in three matches. She scored one of the Angels’ two goals against Hasaacas on the opening day and was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for her performance in the game.
Ezenagu was to score a back to back brace against AS Police of Niger and Amis du Monde of Togo respectively. She was also the MVP in the semi final tie.
Other Rivers Angels’ top performers in Abidjan who will help Coach Okon’s course are midfielder, Deborah Abiodun who has scored two goals so far in the competition and scorers of one goal each namely forwards, Cynthia Aku, Damilola Koku, Alice Ogebe and Oghenebrume Ikekhua.
Yet there are experienced goalkeeper, Ibubeleye Whyte who was a former Super Falcons save hands and players like dependable defender, Ugo Njoku and midfielder Rofiat Imuran, who will hold their own against a tough opponents like Hasaacas Ladies.
On paper, Nigeria’s reigning champions (Rivers Angels) look good to once again beat their Ghanaian rivals who will not want to be defeated the second time in one tournament.
However, both Coach Okon and his Rivers Angels players will want to create history by winning the final match of the competition to take back to Nigeria the trophy which will confirm the status of the club as the most decorated club in Nigeria and the country as the best women’s football nation in Africa.
Meanwhile, both clubs in the final match have already picked the two tickets to represent WAFU Zone B in the maiden Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Women’s Champions League slated for Egypt later in the year.
But before Rivers Angels and Hasaacas Ladies will clash on Thursday, USFA of Burkina Faso and Amis du Monde of Togo will play by 3pm at the same venue.
