By Dayo Awoniyi
Heartland Queens’ technical adviser, Obi Ogbala, has provided insight into the team’s difficult start to the Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL) Premiership season, where they are yet to secure a win in their first four matches.
Sitting near the bottom of Group A with just one point, Ogbala acknowledged the challenges his team is facing but remains confident they will overcome them.
Ogbala identified the team’s lack of control and costly errors as key factors behind their poor performances.
Reflecting on the recent heavy 4-1 loss to Remo Stars Ladies, he explained: “We struggled with ball control and gave away too many passes, which put us under pressure.
“After we conceded the first goal, we showed resilience, but errors after the break allowed our opponents to capitalize on our mistakes.”
Despite the slow start, Ogbala emphasized that the season is still young and there is plenty of time to turn things around.
“The league is a marathon, and we’re still fighting for positive results,” he said. “I am confident the wins will come, and we will soon begin climbing the table.”
Heartland Queens’ slow start has left them trailing leaders Remo Stars Ladies by a significant margin, but Ogbala remains hopeful that with adjustments and continued focus, the team will soon find their rhythm and start making their way up the standings.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
