Edo Queens Football Club of Benin City Nigerian’s representatives in the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU-B play-off are battle ready to continue their unbeaten run as they confront Inter-D’Abidjan FC of Cote D’Ivoire today in a semifinal do or die crunch game to determine who grab the ticket to the finals of the Champions League qualifiers.
The team that emerges winners in the finals would fly their country’s flag to the CAF Champions League proper coming up later in the year in Cairo Egypt.
Edo Queens who have been fantastically outstanding and ruthless in the first stage of the competition and will leave no stone unturned in their quest for the final slot, ensuring that they maintain the momentum and keep the unbeaten run on.
The highly committed rated ladies from Nigeria will today face Inter-D’Abidjan FC, in a supremacy showdown at the Stade De La paix Stadium Cote D’Ivoire.
Time for kickoff is 16 hours. A win for Edo Queens in this all important semi’s will see them sail into the finals, were they will take on the winners in Group A between Aninonvi FC and AO Etincelle FC to be played on Friday.
To reach the semifinal berth, Edo Queens humbled their first opponent As Garde of Niger 5-0 in the opener, went on to humble Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana 3-0 in their second group game, then sealed it up in their last qualifying match against AO Etincelle FC of Burkina Faso 1-0 to top Group B with 9 points and 9 goals without conceding a goal.
A win in this epic clash today will automatically give them the ticket to play the winners from Group A to determine the country that will represent zone B in the final stage of the champions League.
If it happens, Edo Queens would be the third Nigerian Women Club side after Bayelsa Queens and Rivers Angels to appear on the continent for this showpiece.
As Edo Queens file out today against the host country in a make or mar game, football pundits in Nigeria have their eyes fixed on Emem Essien, Abideen Suliat, Folashade Ijamilusi, Chioma Moses, Esther Inyang and Vera Samuel to do the damage up front.
Edo Queens made a winning start at beginning and are desperate to end the qualifiers on a scintillating note.
To achieve this feat, they must push harder to be able to over run the host country.
In the football World over, home advantage plays a vital role, Edo Queens will be battling with many factors, use of antics and intrigues by opponents cannot be ruled out.
But it will be an uphill task for Inter- D’ Abidjan to stop the Ancient City based ladies of Benin-City (Nigeria) from advancing to the last phrase of the continental fiesta.
Should they qualify and win the prestigious CAF Women’s Champions League trophy, Edo Queens would have succeeded in writing their names in the CAF Guinness Book of records.
It also important for our teeming fans back home to know that only one team will be picked from this zone for the final berth of the championship.
Meanwhile, Edo State Sports Commission boss Yussuf Alli, (Olympian), aka ‘Eagles Eyes’ Sports guru, has charged the girls to remain focus, adding that the State government is ready to receive them with the CAF Champions League final ticket and also the trophy at the end of the competition.
“I’m happy, the State government is happy, the Executive Governor of the State His Excellency Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki is happy.
Edo people are happy and the entire football fraternity in Nigeria are equally elated with their outting so far. They have one more game to go before the final.
The girls are doing excellently well in the competition. They shouldn’t loose focus, they are potential champions and must play like soon to be Champions So in the semifinal game against Inter- D’ Abidjan FC, they must fight hard to reach the finals.
Champions don’t give up, they must as a matter of fact prove to them that they are Nigerian Professional League Champions, and they want to be Champions of the continent.”
We are solidly behind them, and very proud of their performance. Nigerians are waiting for the trophy, Edo people are waiting for the glamorous and prestigious CAF Women’s Champions League trophy too.
So I wish them the best of luck in the semifinal game tomorrow. I am optimistic that Edo Queens will come out victorious at the end of regulation time.”
