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Edo Queens FC in the last match of the first stanza of the 2021/2022 NWFL Premiership season showed class as they took Osun Babes FC to the cleaner with three unreplied goals from the Benin-City based girls. Yemisi Samuel and Adaobi Okah, were at their best at Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Promise keeping Edo Queens went into the game with full confidence and mind set of getting maximum points in the game and their expectation wasn't dashed as they put up a stellar performance in both halves of the game to thrash struggling Osun Babes of Osun State 3-0 to put smiles on the faces of their teeming home fans.
Coach Wemimo once again in her flexibility displayed her tactical acumen as she made three changes in the starting 11 adopting a 3-4-3 formation pairing Sunday Blessing, Akudo Ogbonna and Lucky Odiri at the back.
The presence of Emem Essien as a left wingback and Adaobi Okah restricted the Omoluabi Ladies from penetrating through the flanks and the presence of Onyebuchi Goodness and Suliat Abideen gave no room for any threat through the centre.
Pressure from Edo Queens over their visitors gave them their first goal in the 34th minute of the game. Before that, Yemisi Samuel had on two different occasions been set through by Sulit Abideen, but anxiety overwhelmed her as she couldn't score despite wrapping the goalkeeper on the first attempt and hitting a shot at the second, but Elizabeth Nwachukwu kept her side in the game.
The Obaseki Girls' push would pay off on the 34th minute as Adaobi Okah connected well to meet with Lucky Odiri's cross and headed into the net
The deadly combination of the three Wise Queens- Chioma Olise, Fajobi Yetunde and Yemisi Samuel up front was too hot for the Omoluabi Ladies to absorb as they pressed them down from angle of the upfront for the rest of the first half.
The second half was more or less a training session for Edo Queens, though the Osun Babes had few runs at goal, Edo Queens were more dangerous, tactical and clinical with their chances.
Edo Queens doubled their lead in the 67th minute of the encounter when dazzling Yemisi Samuel, rose above every other player in the box as she heads in from Adaobi Okah's cross and zoomed off in celebration.
As they were yet relishing the goal, the third came from Adaobi Okah on the 69th minute pushing the players, the bench, and the fans into wild jubilation.
It's a head day for Edo Queens as Oluwayemisi Samuel heads home the second for Edo Queens as zoomed with full speed zooms into the box of Osun Babes, beat the goalkeeper and comported herself to slot in the third- her second for the day.
The rest of the game was a mere exhibition, though Osun Babes came close to scoring on the 82nd minutes as one of the team's strikers met a cross with a powerful header, Nkiruka Obidinma looked on as the ball went just inches wide of goal.
Edo Queens sustained the pressure and pushed for more goals, but the floodgate of goals was already shut and they both settled for the 3-0 final score.
Speaking after Edo Queens victory head coach Mathew Wemimo said:
"Definitely the fans will be happy because we were able to score three good goals and it's a good thing we have done to the fans to be happy."
"We signed enough good players who can always fit in if anyone is on national assignment it won't affect the team. Last time out, they got away victory despite the absence of key players; we have good players, good replacements."
Meanwhile Edo State Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, who was full of excitement after watching the Queens humiliate their opponent said:
"We thank God for the win. You can see that the team is gradually picking and we are not just topping the group, but they have not lost any match"
"They have a good team and young, but the skills are more than them being young and fragile and that's what they have displayed today."
"They will be going on break and the program the coach has lined up for them, we are convinced will help them to prepare well ahead of the season resumption."
"We are building a team for the future and these young girls, about 70 to 75 per cent of them will in the future form the nucleus of the national teams. The journey we built about four years ago is gradually building up, we are not there yet; but in three to four years, then these players will be at all national level be a point of reference."
"We want to make Edo the factory of players, where players would be produced for the national teams I'm happy there's life in the Super Eagles and the Falcons and to sustain that we would need these young ones to do that and that's why we are proud that we have a young team in the Nigeria Women Football League. NWFL."
Edo Queens sits at the top of group A with 14 points and seven goals with no defeat yet.
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