As a coach, there are days you pour your heart into preparation, execute your tactics to near perfection, and still walk away with nothing. Today was one of those days for us at Bayelsa Queens.
We came into Match-day 4 of the NWFL Super Six on a high – 17 matches unbeaten, belief flowing through the team, and confidence in our game plan.
From the first whistle at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, the girls played with intensity and determination. We pressed high, controlled possession, and carved out multiple chances.
Alaba Olabiyi had a glorious opportunity to put us ahead in the 30th minute. One-on-one with the Edo Queens goalkeeper, she struck it well, but credit to Ijeoma Uzoma – it was a world-class save.
Moments later, we rattled the post – the kind of moment that makes you question if it’s just not your day.
But football, as I always tell my girls, is unforgiving. Just before the break, Edo Queens’ substitute Goodness Osigwe capitalized on a brief lapse, and we found ourselves behind against the run of play.
At halftime, I made tactical changes to shift momentum. We piled on the pressure and created even more chances. Still, the ball wouldn’t go in.
It was frustrating – not for lack of effort, but simply because the final touch eluded us.
After the final whistle, I told the girls to keep their heads high. “Football can be cruel,” I said. And today, it was.
We played the better football, we controlled the game, but we didn’t finish our chances – that was our undoing.
Edo Queens are the defending champions, and they’ve shown why. But this loss doesn’t define us.
There’s everything still to play for. I can promise a stronger, more clinical Bayelsa Queens in our next match against Naija Ratels.
We owe it to ourselves, our fans, and everything we’ve built so far. The journey isn’t over.
