Rivers Angels and Delta Queens begin NWFL Super 6 with wins…
Written by Lucas Uwagwu
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Rivers Angels and Delta Queens began the 2023 NWFL Super 6 tournament with wins over FC Robo Queens and Confluence Queens respectively at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
Rivers Angels defeated FC Robo Queens 2-0 courtesy of goals from Chiamaka Okwuchukwu and Adaobi Okah, either side of both halves.
The match was initially delayed due to a heavy downpour but eventually kicked off as the rain subsided. It was a dominant display from start to finish from Rivers Angels as FC Robo Queens were no match for the former NWFL champions.
In the 37th minute, Rivers Angels eventually got the breakthrough courtesy of Okwuchukwu. They almost added a second on multiple occasions but for a goal-line clearance and another disallowed goal.
The pressure eventually paid off as Rivers Angels added a second through Adaobi Okah to round up a dominant display.
In the same fashion, Delta Queens in Group B defeated Confluence Queens 3-1 to also take all three points and sit top of the group. They went ahead in the 19th minute through Ekpenyong Effiom, before they were pegged back by Peter Martha at the half-hour mark. Confluence Queens’ equalizer was however short-lived, as Samuel Vera restored the hosts’ advantage four minutes later.
At the resumption of the second half, the hosts came out strong but were denied by the crossbar as an attacking header from Samuel Vera crashed against the woodwork from an in-swinging cross following a brilliant wing play. The visitors had the woodwork to thank yet again as a thunderous volley from Agoh Chinaza thumped the crossbar before going out of play, with Linda Jiwaku in goal for the visitors, well beaten.
In a game which had the edge of an ongoing duel between Jiwaku and the opposing attackers, she made a point-blank save to deny Effiom from adding to her tally, though coming off worse in that particular encounter that required the attention of medics.
With regulation time spent and the game in added time, the talismanic Ekpenyong Effiom got the better of Jiwaku, as she struck the ball cleanly from six yards following a rebound that fell kindly for her. Following their two-goal lead, the home held firmly to claim all 3 points.
Reacting to the victory, Coach Tosan Blackson hailed the efforts of his team to claim available points. “I want to thank my wards for playing to instructions, as our tactics paid off. We tried to control the game in the first half so as not to concede, but we came out strongly in the second half and we would have scored more, but we would take the victory,” he said.
He also encouraged the home fans to come out in their numbers to cheer the team to victory.
On his part, the Coach of Confluence Queens, Coach Ogbonda Whyte, expressed disappointment over the loss but promised to come out strong in their next game against Edo Queens.
