Nigeria Leagues
NWFL Premiership: Ogbonda Whyte shares secret of Rivers Angels victory over Bayelsa Queens
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Head coach of Rivers Angels, Ogbonda Whyte has admitted that his side won the 2023/2024 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership encounter against Bayelsa Queens from the bench.
With the game destined for a 0-0 draw, substitute Patience Otobo scored a last-gasp winner in the 89th minute to hand the Jewels of Rivers a victory in the South-South derby.
The win sealed their place in the Super Six, a feat achieved by the coach in consecutive seasons with different clubs after taking Confluence Queens to the same level last season.
While admitting that the game against the Prosperity Girls was not an easy one, Whyte is happy that his team won the tough duel.
“I will say that the game today is a game of two champions and a South-South derby, the game between the two sides is never an easy match but at the end of the day, we were able to scale through to get our three points,” Whyte told Rivers Angels Media.
“The changes we made in the second half went a very long way to help us get the 3 points at stake today.
“I told my team that the bench was going to win the match for us today, we needed to leave some good players on the bench and allow some to play when the ones on the pitch are tired, the players on the bench can come and contribute.”
With Super Six qualification sealed, Whyte and his team will now focus on their last game of the regular season against relegation-threatened side, Ekiti Queens at Ado Ekiti next Wednesday.
The host hopes to win the match and expects results between Remo Stars Ladies which have confirmed their league status in their debut campaign and Sunshine Queens in Ikenne to favour their course.
