A 74th minute own goal from Emmnuela Unagbu ensured visiting Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt picked all 3 points to extend their unbeaten run to four matches as actions resumed in the Nigeria Women Football League with match day 4.
The game which was played at the Jolly Nyame stadium had a heavy down pour which made it difficult for both teams to get clear chances in the first half.
However, the 2014 NWFL and Federation Cup holders kept on with the pressure as a Mabel Effiom’s corner kick was flicked in by Emmanuela with goalkeeper Juliana Duru unable to stop it.
After the game, assistant coach of Rivers Angels, Whyte Ogbonda praised the efforts of the girls.
“Yes the players, they tried their best yesterday considering the fact that there was a heavy down pour and the pitch was flooded which did not allow a free flow of the game but by the end of the day we were able to play good football and I think the both sides gave good account of themselves” Whyte said.
“But in the aspect of Rivers Angels, I think they played well because the game was played in the opponents half all through the duration of the 90 minutes” He added.
On his part, Technical Adviser of Taraba Queens, Adewale Olatunji admitted the game was a good one but said he had a great task ahead of him.
“ both teams played well, but you know when you play inside the rain you expect anything to happen; yes they got the goal advantage and there’s nothing you can do, we tried to fight back and pick the ball to launch some attack but there’s nothing you can do about that”.
“It’s a very good match, both team played well, it’s a very good match, they put in their best” said Olatunji.
“This one is a big challenge in front of us now and we have to go back to the drawing board and you know we’re traveling to Akure and we want to see if we can pick something out of it and come back home and we await COD before moving to Abuja, we’ll try as much as possible to gather six or seven points by his grace so that we consolidate our stand on the league table” Olatunji added.
Rivers Angels Starting lineup
Meanwhile Rivers Angels left Taraba this morning for Abuja where they’re expected to take on COD ladies in the round of 16 clash of the Federation Cup on Wednesday.
In other results played in the Nigeria Women Football League:
A goal in each half handed Rivers Angels a 2-0 victory over Nasarawa Amazons at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt on Saturday.
It was a close encounter between the two sides with no clear cut chances created in the early stages of the game with much of the battle in the middle of the pack.
Last season top scorer, Amarachi Orjinma was deprived of spaces in the heart of the Lafia side defense as she was closely marked by captain of the side, Emenayo Ugochi who did a good job with a lot of credit to her keeping Orjinma quiet throughout the first half.
With few minutes to the break, Orjinma dropped deep to head a cross from the left which found Mercy Amanze who made up for her countless misses to left foot a shot into the top corner of the box.
The champions went into the break with a 1-0 lead, leaving the 2013 NWPL champions disappointed after frustrating their opponents with a disciplined defense in the first half.
It was all fireworks in the beginning of the second half from both sides. Stand-in Falcons striker, Osinachi Ohale who was deployed from Abuja for the game made her presence felt protecting the back four away from her usual position thereby providing stability to a shaky midfield.
In the 55th minute, Ohale continued her spectacular work rate from the midfield and she found Ijeoma Obi who threaded a cross to Orjinma to slot home but she was brought down, winning a penalty for her side.
3mins later, Ijeoma Obi with a brace in the last league game against Capital City Doves converted the spot kick and handed the Port Harcourt side what eventually was the winner of the game.
The visitors had an opportunity of getting back into the game after a double substitution by coach Michael Olaoye but the changes never mattered after all.
In the 77th minute, Onyekachi Stella who came off the bench tried to give the Lafia side some hope after she pounced on a loose pass from a sloppy Angels’ defense but Charity John who was in goal saved it although it slipped away from her but Ulunma Jerome was quick to clear away from danger.
Charity John was once again called to duty with eight minutes to the end from a well taken free kick from captain of the lafia side Emenayo Ugochi but she was able to stop the visitors from getting a consolation goal thereby keeping a record of 2 clean sheets in two games.
After the game, assistant coach of Rivers Angels Whyte Ogbonda was delighted for the victory.
“The girls tried very well because playing against a team like Nasarawa Amazons it is not an easy team remember they are one of the female champions but beating them and bearing in mind that most of our girls are in the national team I think the girls tried today, said Ogbonda.”
Stand in captain of Super Falcons, Osinachi Ohale who played against Nasarawa Amazons played to the admiration of the assistant coach.
Rivers Angels
“It was because of today’s game they made her come in because our middle is very porous and since the Nigeria football federation refused to release most of our girls , we had to get Osi at least it would go a long way to help the team and I think she contributed a lot to the team, Ogbonda continued.”
Rivers Angels defender, Osinachi Ohale was happy to contribute her quota to the success of the game.
‘I think they needed me to play for them though I had fatigue but I still contributed to the victory today.
She further added, we have so many players in the national team that can play in other wings if they had been here today, the goal line would have been more than what we had today, Ohale said.”
Rivers Angels Coach Edwin Okon
Also available for the game was Edwin Okon who doubles as the Super Falcons coach and Rivers Angels coach.
Ogbonda feels his presence spurred the girls to victory against the Lafia girls.
“Definitely it contributed don’t forget he is the technical adviser of the team at least his presence today went a long way to spur the girls to a high level performance because everyone would love to be in the national team so they had to impress him and today is the first time he is watching them play a league match since we recruited some of them to Rivers Angels, Ogbonda concluded.”
Nasarawa Amazons coach, Michael Oluwaseyi Olaoye was disappointed with the result.
“We played very well but we created chances and could not convert them. We had two lapses in the defense, one from the goal keeper and the other from the defenders and they got the two goals and that is football because mistakes make the game of football. I am disappointed because we came for a win but it didn’t happen. We had our chances we could not utilize them to end the game at 2-2. When we go back home, we will go back to the drawing board because we had two one on one chance, Olaoye said.”
Olaoye however disagreed that the presence of the Rivers Angels players on national assignment would have done more damage to his side.
“I don’t think so we played better we had our chance they had theirs which they converted but we couldn’t convert ours and that’s football. Football is a game of chance, said Olaoye.”
Rivers Angels next play Taraba Queens on Saturday, May 23 in Jalingo.
An inspired Mabel Effiom performance handed Rivers Angels a 4-0 win against new comers, Capital City Doves of Abuja in a Nigeria Women Premier League Week 1 rescheduled game at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Rivers Angels dominated the midfield and attacked early in the game with the inspired Effiom troubling the visitors with her darting runs and crosses from the left flank.
The former Ibom Angels full back, was playing in place of Ngozi Ebere who is on duty with the national team and made sure Ebere’s absence was not felt in the game.
The Port Harcourt based side opened scores on 19 minutes when newly-signed striker from Finland, Ijeoma Obi rammed home a fantastic bicycle kick which left Oluwaseun Sanusi who was in goal for Doves with no chance at all.
Two minutes later, the double champions increased the tally and this time around it was last season NWPL highest goal scorer, Amarachi Ojinma opening her account for the season.
The former Pelican stars forward got a just reward for her efforts after her shot was previously blocked by Sanusi taking advantage of a defensive error by the Abuja side to poke home.
Two soon became three in the 32nd minute as the hosts compounded their visitors’ woes. A perfectly weighed cross from Mercy Amanze found centre back Ihuoma Onyebuchi who teed up Ijeoma Obi to bury it past Sanusi.
Capital City Doves, lacking a cutting edge, outmuscled in the midfield and could not find their way through the Rivers Angels defense on countless occasions.
With ten minutes into the second half, the referee disallowed a goal scored by Grace Henry who pounced on a spilled ball from Sanusi. She was adjudged to be in an offside position.
The home side however continued the game without any protest but so much attention was on the coach of Capital City Doves, Ngozi Ezeh who on three different intervals called on her players to the sidelines after they conceded a goal from Rivers Angels side.
In the 75th minute however, Rivers Angels got icing on their well baked cake with a free kick from 25 yards from Ulunma Jerome who connected the newly introduced Ijeoma Emenike. Emenike did brilliantly to find a relentless Mercy Amanze who headed the ball into the net.
It wrapped up an efficient yet comfortable display for the Champions who were yet to kick a ball this term after they walked over Pelicans Stars in Calabar last weekend.
Rivers Angels Starting lineup
Assistant coach of Rivers Angels, Whyte Ogbonda expressed his delight after the match but admitted they were missing their key players who are on national duty.
“We are missing the players in the national camp if they were here we would have scored up to 10 goals. The standard of the game would have been higher than this but am happy because what we were looking for is just 3 points and at the end of the day they were able to get 3points and 4 goals so am happy they played to instruction and there is room for improvement, said Ogbonda.
Coach of Capital City Dove, Ngozi Ezeh admitted she was not disappointed with the result.
The girls tried their best. We just got into the league and we were not supposed to be in the league but I still believe these girls will still do wonders. I am not disappointed for what my girls played its not easy to face the champions, remember they are the champions of the league, Ezeh said.
“I have to inject new players and encourage the little ones that can meet up the league when next they come for the return leg in Abuja you will hear a different result, Ezeh concluded.
Highest goal scorer of NWPL 2013/2014 season, Amarachi Ojinma who was at Pelican Stars last season, believes she can replicate her scoring form for the Women League champions.
“By the special grace of God I believe I can do it. According to the league board, it is not a straight league but an abridged one. If I can’t get up to what I got(17) with Pelican Stars last season , I hope to get half of the goals I got last season, she said.
Rivers Angels next play Nasarawa Amazons On Saturday, May 16 at the Liberation Stadium Port Harcourt.
Nigerian Women league and Federation Cup holders Rivers Angels were beaten 2-1 by Bayelsa Queens in a friendly game at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The game was used as test for both sides who were drawn in separate groups of the upcoming Nigeria Women league season which kicks off on Saturday in an abridged format.
Fringe players such as Mabel Effiom, Peace Obioma, Uju Joseph, Emenike Ijeoma, Obi Ijeoma and NWPL topscorer last season Amarachi Orjinma were given the nod to show their worth in the absence of 10 key players who are away on national duty with the Super Falcons.
In the 7th minute, former Pelican queens forward, Orjinma fired her team’s first real attempt over the bar.
River Angels however went behind soon after as they conceded a free kick in the 21st minute when new recruit, Effiom brought down Uzoamaka Igwe on the edge of the 18 yard box.
Igwe dusted herself up and converted the kick from an acute angle position directly into the net, leaving goalkeeper Charity John with no chance.
Three minutes later, Effiom drew the host level after being awarded a free kick a few meters from the right hand of the 18 yard box.
The remaining part of the first half ended with not many clear cut chances created with more of the battle taking place in the midfield.
The second half started with the visitors acting like a house on fire with most of the action played in Rivers Angels half in the first 15 minutes of the second period.
Bayelsa Queens enjoyed the larger part of the possession, dominating play, and having the highest completed passes in the game.
Rivers Angels
Charity John who was in goal for Rivers Angels, had her hands full making three saves from Edeji Chidinma, Esther Udegbe and Rafiat Sule who all combined well on different occasions to cause terror on a porous Rivers Angels defence.
Amarachi Orjinma yet again found her shot roll over the bar in 63rd minute but the Flamingoes star Cynthia Aku made better use of her chance which was saved by Favour Nwaaha in goal for Bayelsa Queens.
In the 71st minute, another Flamingoes star, Joy Bokiri who was a torn in the flesh in the second half , linked up well with Rafiat Sule in the 18 yard box who slotted home the winner for Bayelsa Queens.
Two minutes later, Mabel Effiom yet again almost got the equaliser for the League champions but she was stopped by Favour Nwaaha.
Coach Ronaldson Odeh got the midfield orchestra, Edeji Chidinma off the pitch for Edith Eduviere who quickly made her impact felt by finding Joy Bokiri in the middle with both players linking up but her shot went far wide.
With eight minutes to regulation time, the visitors still proved unstoppable creating chances and winning a free kick which was taken by Lucky Odiri but Charity John was alert to avoid another goal into the back of her net.
Despite the win against Rivers Angels, Bayelsa Queens coach, Rolandson Odeh said he still has a lot of work to do before the league kicks off on Saturday.
“It has been able to expose a lot of lapses and i was thinking i was ready for the league but based on what i have seen today i have less than 24 hours to correct the mistakes i have seen here so to me it is still work in progress, said Odeh.”
Odeh added, it’s a friendly game not all teams would have come with their talented players and coupled with the fact that Rivers Angels are the household name of women football in Nigeria but it was a good game.
On his part, assistant coach of Rivers Angels, Whyte Ogbonda attributed the loss to the absence of his key players who are on national duty with the Super Falcons.
“Despite losing to Bayelsa Queens in this match we all know it is a friendly match but it is preparatory match to our league match which kicks off this weekend. Most of our players are not in the Rivers Angels camp but in the Super Falcons camp. We just managed to use what we have to execute this match but all the same we think the players at home will be able to execute the league match pending when the rest of the team will return to Port Harcourt, Ogbonda explained.”
newfanzone 