By Wale Mustapha
Bayelsa Queens staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Edo Queens 3-2 in their Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership season opener at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa last Wednesday.
The match remained locked at 2-2 until stoppage time, when captain Blessing Ilevida struck the decisive goal, sending the home fans into raptures.
Veteran defender Florence Alexander revealed the emotional rollercoaster she experienced during the match.
“At some point I was scared after we missed two good chances to lead again, I almost gave up on the game,” Alexander told NigeriaFootball.ng.
“But I knew we have that character and resistance to push more and get things done. We’ve been there before and that feeling was just telling me it will happen and I’m happy we did it.”
While celebrating the victory, Alexander also identified areas for improvement, particularly the need to better protect leads and manage pressure in crucial moments.
Bayelsa Queens will have a bye in the next fixture following the administrative elimination of Casmog Queens from the league.
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.
