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Ufuoma Lucky shines in Royal Queens loss to Delta Queens
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Royal Queens FC may have suffered a 2–0 loss to Delta Queens in a friendly match on Wednesday, but the standout performance of the day came from 15-year-old central defender Ufuoma Lucky, whose commanding display belied her age.
Playing at the heart of the defence, Lucky was calm under pressure and precise in her tackles, consistently thwarting Delta Queens’ attacking threats. Her positional awareness and ball-winning abilities made her the backbone of Royal Queens’ backline throughout the contest.
Lucky’s impact extended beyond defense — the left-footed defender came close to scoring twice from set pieces. Her two beautifully taken free kicks rattled the post, with the Delta Queens goalkeeper well beaten on both occasions.
Despite her side’s inability to find the net, Lucky maintained poise in possession and demonstrated impressive vision with diagonal passes and intelligent transitions from back to front. Her maturity and versatility — being equally comfortable as a midfielder or left-back — have sparked growing calls for her inclusion in Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos.
Though the result didn’t go their way, Royal Queens will take heart from Lucky’s performance, which offered a glimpse of a bright future — both for the player and the team.
