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Bayelsa Queens Defeat Unification Ladies in Friendly Ahead of WAFU Zone B Campaign
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
WAFU Zone B-bound Bayelsa Queens FC secured a 2–0 victory over Unification Ladies of Lagos in a keenly contested friendly match on Saturday at the Maracana Stadium in Ajegunle.
The first half ended in a stalemate, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock despite creating a few chances.
Captain Blessing Ilivieda eventually opened the scoring in the 69th minute with a trademark long-range strike from 25 yards, just seven minutes after she was booked.
Bayelsa Queens had an opportunity to double their lead in the 76th minute when Shakirat Moshood delivered a pass to Delight Isaac, who missed a clear chance as her effort drifted wide.
Isaac made amends in the 89th minute, calmly converting from the penalty spot after Mary Lucky was brought down in the box, sending the Unification Ladies’ goalkeeper the wrong way.
Reacting to the result, Bayelsa Queens Technical Adviser, Whyte Ogbonda, said the win was a vital psychological boost as the team ramps up preparations for the 5th WAFU Zone B CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Côte d’Ivoire from August 9 to 24.
“Though we won the game against Unification Ladies, I must say I wasn’t impressed with our first-half performance. But we saw a much-improved side in the second half, which is what we wanted,” Ogbonda said.
“I believe we’ll get things right before we head to Côte d’Ivoire. The girls are putting in the work to ensure we’re fully ready,” he added.
The friendly is Prosperity Girls second in a week after a 2-1 win over Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship side, Sunshine Queens.
Bayelsa Queens will be hoping to make a strong impression at the WAFU qualifiers as they aim to secure a spot in the CAF Women’s Champions League later this year.
