Nigeria Leagues
NWFL: Heartland Queens unveil Marvelous Duru, 10 others ahead of season opener
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership side, Heartland Queens has unveiled 11 players including former Adamawa Queens star, Marvelous Duru ahead of the team’s 2023/2024 league opener against Royal Queens.
The former Capital City Doves player was signed by the Owerri-based side after careful screening which made her one of the 11 players that will be part of the team for next season.
Other players unveiled by Heartland include Okwara Oluchi, Akwasi Cynthia, Okon Blessing, Stella Nwadike, Charles Nwabueze, Iheoma Chinyere, Faith Samson, Williams Nnena, Opara Chimebere, and Chukwu Uchenna.
Duru was part of the historic Adamawa Queens side that qualified for the 2019 NWFL Premiership Super 4 in Lagos where the team finished fourth at the end of the season, the team’s best outing thus far.
After relegation to the second-tier NWFL Championship ahead of the 2020/2021 season, Duru played a crucial role in helping the Northern side regain their top-flight status.
She scored three goals which came during her former side’s 3-0 win over Kwara Ladies to lift her side to a second place finish behind Naija Ratels FC which was enough to seal promotion to the NWFL Premiership.
The player and other new acquisitions will look forward to the team opening league match with Royal Queens at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, Imo state.
Ugobest Osuji scored the winning goal as Heartland Queens ended the 2022/2023 season with a 1-0 victory over Royal Queens when both sides last met in the league.
