Sports Revelation Online ..breaking authenic sports reports
Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist
Celebration Time. ..Rivers Angels players celebrating one of the goals in the Nigerian league.
Two goals in each half of the match ensured that Nigeria’s women’s football league champions, Rivers Angels beat Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana 2-0 in the first match of the West African Football Union (WAFU- B) tournament holding from June 24 to August 5, 2021, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Rivers Angels goalscorers were Maryann Ezenagu and Deborah
Abiodun in the first and second halves respectively to put the Nigerian clubside on the drivers seat to qualify from Group B of the competition which will produce two clubs to represent the zone in the maiden CAF Women’s Champions League billed for Egypt later in the year.
Although Ghana’s Champions put up a strong challenge to eke out a point from the epic encounter, Rivers Angels goalkeeper, Ibubeleye White who stopped some point-blank goals from kissing her net.
The Coach Edwin Okon led team will try to avoid a defeat in the second match of Group B next week to secure a semi final slot. They will face Police Sports Association of Niger Republic next.
Meanwhile, in Group A, host country Cote d Ivoire’s Champions, Onze Soeurs de Gagnoa (Eleven Sisters fc) lost their first match 1-0 to USFA of Burkina Faso thanks to a goal scored by Mouniratou Campaore.
The club also lost their goalkeeper, Cynthia Djohore was red carded in the match by Togolese Center Referee, Edoh Kindedji, a situation which made Onze Soeurs Head Coach, Agnes Essis to remove a player to bring in a reserve goalkeeper, Marie Ake.
Champions of Nigeria, Champions of….Rivers Angels kick start WAFU tournament on good note. Beat Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana 2-0 in Abidjan.
But the technical change by the gaffer could not salvage the match as they have to fight hard in the second game of Group A against Friends of the World Football Club from Togo. It will be a do or die affair for the host club.
Nigeria’s Ruth David, Acting Director of Competitions in Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was the Match Commissioner of the highly contested match which ended on a good note.
Recall that the WAFU-B Secretariat in Abidjan said two top sides from each Group, after two matches each, will progress to the last four of the competition, with the winners of those knockout semi-final matches to slug it out in the final.
While the two winners of the semi-final face off in the final for the title, the finalists will automatically qualify as representatives of the zone for the finals at the inuaugral CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt later this year.
The WAFU-B will be the only zone to produce two teams at the finals, with the region being the home of the reigning champions of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) Nigeria.
WAFU-B Group
Group A:
*Eleven Sisters of Gagnoa (Ivory Coast)
*Union Sportive des forces Armees (Burkina Faso)
*Friends of the World Football Club (Togo)
Group B
*Rivers Angels Football Club (Nigeria)
*Hasaacas Ladies Football Club (Ghana)
*Police Sports Association (Niger).