Following a hard-fought battle in the Nigeria Women’s Football League that ended in a 3-2 defeat against Abia Angels, Adamawa Queens’ coach Jacob Vandi shared his post-match sentiments with the press, expressing a mix of pride in his team’s performance and frustration over perceived officiating discrepancies.
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Vandi began by acknowledging the dedication of his players, stating, “Well, what I can say about the game. Everybody has seen what happened. Well, my girls tried, they played to instruction.” However, he couldn’t overlook what he deemed as substandard officiating, particularly pointing out a contentious penalty decision that went against his team.
In Vandi’s words, “But what I will still talk about is the officiating in the league is still not up to standard. The penalty that was given against us was not a penalty because there was no contact, so I think if we really want to develop our league, we need to be fair in anything we are doing.”
Despite the officiating concerns, Vandi highlighted the positives in his team’s performance, emphasizing their strategic approach to contain the opponent’s midfield. He also acknowledged the difficulty faced by the referee in disallowing a goal by Abia Angels due to an offside call.
“We started the game and tried to contain the midfield of our opponent, and I saw many positives, I think the referee tried because it is not easy to disallow the goal Abia Angels scored because of offside, so if the officiating is fair, then everything will be fine,” commented Vandi.
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Delving into the tactical aspects of the match, Vandi praised his players for following instructions and effectively closing down spaces to thwart the opposition’s exploitation attempts. However, he admitted that playing away from home presented its challenges, contributing to falling short in the final score.
When queried about the season’s objectives, Vandi affirmed, “I want to win the league; that is my target. No manager will reject the offer to win the league or maybe make it to the Super 6 at the end of the season.” Despite the setbacks, Vandi’s determination to clinch victory and elevate Adamawa Queens in the league remained resolute.
