An exultant President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Sunday commended the extraordinary fighting spirit of Nigerian champions Edo Queens in overpowering defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on Saturday night, to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League competition in Morocco.
Edo Queens, who won the Nigerian title for only the first time last season, went ahead to beat all comers to win the WAFU B Women’s Champions League competition (a qualifying tournament for the continental championship) in Cote d’Ivoire, and have now made it to the last four of the dollar-spangled event.
“The NFF and the Nigeria football family are very happy at the accomplishments of Edo Queens over the past months, from winning the WAFU B title to reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Women’s Champions League. We congratulate the Edo State Government and all those involved in this remarkable progress of the team.
“The ladies exhibited the much-talked-about Nigeria spirit to come from behind and defeat the Cup holders. Theirs is a statement in resilience, determination and ambition. I believe they have been highly inspired by that victory and have the capacity to go all the way and win the title.”
Read Also;CAFWCL: Mamelodi Sundowns Coach Laments Dramatic Defeat To Edo Queens
Sundowns, who have reached, at least, the Final of every edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League since the competition was inaugurated in 2021, went ahead in the 24th minute through Melinda Kgadiete, and held on to the advantage until the end of regulation time. However, five minutes into added time, Emem Essien drew the Nigerians level when her tenacity in the box paid off after the Sundowns’ goalkeeper dropped the ball from a cross. Five minutes later, Mary Mamudu gave the Queens victory by lashing into the roof of the net after a good run and pass by Super Falcons’ forward Goodness Osigwe.
The win handed the Nigerian champions leadership of group B, with the defending champions eliminated.
Edo Queens will take on TP Mazembe of DR Congo in the first semi-final on Tuesday, at 4pm Morocco time, before AS FAR of Morocco confront Masar of Egypt in the second semi-final three hours later.
In their first two matches of the competition, the Queens defeated Commercial Bank of Ethiopia 3-0 and drew 0-0 with Masar FC of Egypt.
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A Technical Review: Edo Queens 2-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
In the beginning of the match, Edo Queens filed out in a weird formation. You had the 4 defenders sat behind 2 defensive midfielders with 1 attacking midfielder for support. Then up front, you had 1 centrally located support striker just behind 2 strikers giving a narrow 4-2-1-3 shape.
Instantly they ran into problems: no width up front and no wingers to augment the fullbacks when defending which created open season for Mamelodi down our flanks and contributed to the first goal conceded. But Edo Queens were resolute in midfield.
To redress the balance and seize the initiative, Coach Moses replaced Anjor with Mamudu in 33 minutes: an early substitution by any measure, but an astute and tactical one that will have positive ramifications on the long run.
In 36 minutes, Mamudu delivered a wicked cross from the right , one of many, that would pepper the South Africans back line and give them something different to worry about. Ijamilusi would crash the bar minutes later from the left flank within a now more expansive set up which started creating openings.
Edo Queens were starting to play to their strengths with pace, power and panache on the flanks. But the end product in actual crosses were a mixed bag: sometimes delivered with the sharpness and precision of a scalpel blade but other times with the crudeness, barbarity and roughness of a sledgehammer.
Whichever the case, Edo Queens had become menacing and insidious down the flanks which Mamelodi Sundowns struggled to repel or contain for the remainder of the match.
Moses came on early in the second half and proved a proverbial thorn in the flesh of South Africa in left wing with neat take-ons which sadly deserved better crossing end-products.
The back 4 defensive infrastructure was colossal with razor sharp concentration and highly competent anticipations and interceptions with goalkeeper Oyono never looking fazed.
The formation now assumed a more wider 4-3-3 posture.
Long balls from midfield complemented the crosses from the flanks which led to Essien being cleaned out in the 18 yard box for a penalty wasted by my darling Olise (I like this girl sha, I no o lie). On her primary task, Olise marshaled the midfield with care, attention and confidence ably aided Samuel and Inyang.
Striker Ijamilusi moved to like attacking midfield to accommodate Moses and Mamudu down the flanks with Essien the arrowhead; Ijamilusi’s through passes to free up the wingers were a thing of beauty and precision which caused the South Africans no end of problems.
Later, another Subject of my love and affection Gorgeous Goodness Osigwe took over on the left wing were she was even more ruthless than Moses, with far superior crossing end-product, leading to a goal and several fascinating near misses.
(Goodness Osigwe, Flourish Sebastian, who is better?)
Their climax, the payoff was implemented in the cruelest of fashions with 2 late goals to dump the former champions out an announce themselves as a force in this tournament.
I enjoyed the game so much I watched it a second time in full: Edo Queens now have a new fan in me!
When it comes to praising and giving handshakes, Nigerian officials are the world leaders.
Na so so praise and handshake dem sabi give.
Na praise these girls go chop? Has there ever been a time when handshakes paid bills?
All these yeye praises, the tournament prize money don dey enter dia eye. Na how to corner the money dem dey discuss now.
NFF ONIGBESE must not come near any prize money that these girls win at the tournament. They should please distance themselves from that money. It belongs to the club and the players. Hopefully, the club will do the right thing and reward these girls for their hard work.