After failing to save her team from losing for the third time in this year’s Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) Super-6, Confluence Queens of Lokoja battler, Ifeoluwa Mustapha has concluded that hard luck is the biggest problem facing the Kogi State-owned club.
Although they won their second match, after a 5-1 humiliation by Edo Queens of Benin City on the opening day, Confluence Queens have struggled to convert begging chances and lost their last two games on the trot.
Mustapha was equally guilty of missing a sitter against Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt on Friday, as her side lost the game 2-0, which left them with three points and sitting fourth on the table.
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Speaking with Sports 247, while blaming her team’s shortcomings on hard luck, Mustapha admitted that she has personally not been able to give her best because she has had limited playing time on the pitch.
She then turned her focus on Sunday’s fixture, which is the last day of this year’s NWFL Super-6, then assured that she and her colleagues will do the best they can to get victory and return home with their heads held high.
Their last match will be versus fifth placed Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia, who have two points from the same number of draws, and Mustapha is optimistic of a better performance by herself and her teammates.
Mustapha, however, began by admitting that she failed to score on Friday because she hesitated when a pass came her way, adding: “My reaction was not fast enough to the ball, because I wasn’t expecting it; but I regret missing that chance.
“For me, it was a mistake, and, in the next match, I will try to make the correction.
Out of the four matches, I will rate myself six over ten; though I actually entered with few minutes left in the game.
“I’m yet to pick up my courage, and the time I have to play is short.”
She then analysed her team’s performances so far and concluded that all the players have given their best, but luck has not been on their side.
Mustapha retorted, “Out of 100, I’m going to rate my team 85, because we played well, from the beginning of the game to the end.
We played well, but hard luck was against us. Hard luck prevented us from getting a goal.
“We could not convert our chances just because of hard luck; that’s why our goal didn’t come, but that’s the game of football.
We see many opportunities, but to convert them into goals is a problem.
“Sometimes it’s like that. But, for the next game, I think we are going to put in more effort and try better to convert our chances.”
It will be the only match on Sunday that will not have any influence on the title swing, after that of the second placed Rivers Angels versus last rungers, Heartland Queens.
