Best Odds Center
best odds centre button
Click here!
Sport TV
watch live tv button
Click here!
to watch
Live FootBall
NPFL
Click here!
Live Scores
play watch Live Score button
Click here!

2025 NWFL Match Day 3: Heartland Queens brace up for Abia Angels in oriental derby

Posted : 28 January 2025

Under-pressure Heartland Queens must give their all for the much-coveted three points against their neighbors, Abia Angels, in the oriental derby slated for the hallowed grounds of the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.  


The derby is part of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership Match Day 3 fixtures.  


Before Wednesday's showdown, both teams experienced mixed fortunes in their Match Day 2 games.  


While the Owerri Landladies succumbed to a 1-2 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Edo Queens in Owerri, the Angels from Umuahia, the serene capital of Abia State, were dominant in their emphatic 3-0 victory over former champions Nasarawa Amazons, right in their own backyard in Umuahia.  


Last season, both neighbors competed in the same eight-team Group A. The Owerri side comfortably defeated their oriental sisters home and away, eventually qualifying for their maiden Super Six playoffs in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Meanwhile, the Umuahia side, then referred to as the Aba Angels, narrowly escaped relegation on the final day of the season.  


In preparation for the ongoing season, both teams participated in prestigious preseason tournaments—the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament (BOWFT) in Benin City and the Sheroes Cup in Abuja. However, they narrowly avoided facing each other during those competitions.  


At the moment, fortunes seem to favor the Angels. After two rounds of matches in the two-week-old NWFL Premiership, the Owerri side remains without a single point, while the Umuahia team sits comfortably with three points.  


Beyond their mixed fortunes, other factors may influence the outcome of Wednesday's game.  


Last season, the current head coach of Abia Angels, Adanna Nwaneri, served as an assistant to Heartland Queens’ coach, Obi Ogbala. Interestingly, several former Heartland Queens players now feature prominently in Abia Angels’ lineup.  


Heartland Queens' coach, Ogbala, known for his reserved demeanor and strategic team selection, is expected to field a strong lineup to secure his team's first points of the season. Recently, he has been experimenting with a mix of experienced players and youthful talent, an approach that may finally yield the desired results.  


A victory for Heartland Queens over their oriental rivals, Abia Angels, would provide a significant morale boost ahead of their next week-long road trip to face Remo Stars Ladies—the winners of the 2024 Sheroes Cup and two-season campaigners—in their NWFL Premiership Match Day 4 fixture in Ikenne, Ogun State.  

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics

close button
Please fill captcha :