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Emueje Ogbiagbevha: Former Champions League top goal scorer returns to NWFL Premiership with Delta Queens
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
After about five years since she played for the Belarusian side Minsk FK, Nigeria forward Emueje Ogbiagbevha staged a return to the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership.
She played for Delta Queens during a 1-0 loss to Bayelsa Queens in the 2024/24 league opener on Wednesday.
The bulky forward was well marshalled by the defensive strength of Rivers Angels’ Florence Alexander who prevented Emueje from finding the back of the net.
Emueje returned to the Nigeria women’s football top flight after her exploit in Europe.
The former Nasarawa Amazons and Delta Queens forward emerged as the joint top scorer at the end of the 2019/2020 UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), which was won again by Olympic Lyon for the fifth time in a row.
The Warri-born forward became the first African to clinch the UEFA Women’s Champions League Golden Boot since the inception of the tournament in 2001
The striker scored 10 goals alongside Berglind Bjorg Borvaldsdottir of Breidablik and Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal Ladies, making three assists in seven games.
Emueje, while playing for Nasarawa Amazons, emerged as the best player at the 2015 NWFL Premiership Super Six, which was won by Rivers Angels, and would be remembered for scoring a first-half brace against her home team Delta Queens in the third-place match.
She has previously played for BIIK Kazygurt of Kazakhstan, Russian Championship side Rossiyanka, and Energia Voronezh, and was the top scorer of the Russian League in 2010.
In 2019, she was recognized as the best football player in the Belarusian Championship.
During four seasons at Minsk FK in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Emueje scored 16 goals in 17 matches which is a record performance for the Belarusian women’s team in Europe. She has also played for the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
At 34 years old which is still an active age in women’s football, Peter Dedevbo’s side will bank on Emueje’s experience for goals this season.
