By Wale Mustapha
Sunshine Queens head coach Rafiu Oseni has praised the resilience and discipline of his players following their hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Confluence Queens in the quarterfinals of the 2025 President Federation Cup.
The thrilling encounter, held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on Saturday, saw the Owena Whales overturn a first-half deficit to book their place in the semifinals of Nigeria’s oldest club competition.
Speaking after the match, Oseni credited the team’s unity and tactical discipline for the win, highlighting that the squad stuck to their pre-match plan despite facing strong opposition from the league side.
“I knew this game was going to be tough. Playing against a league team isn’t easy, but we collectively worked on how to go through it,” Oseni said.
“We planned for this game together, and we are happy it ended in our favour.”
The coach emphasized that the tournament is serving as vital preparation for the upcoming NWFL Championship playoffs, where the team hopes to make a strong push for promotion.
“We’re not there yet; we will continue to work hard,” Oseni added.
“This Cup serves as a preparatory ground for us. We still have some good players back home who are not eligible for this competition.”
Sunshine Queens will now look to maintain their momentum as they eye a place in the final, with Oseni promising improvements in the coming matches.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
