WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Edo Queens’ victory is icing on Edo State’s 33rd anniversary cake
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has appreciated the victorious Edo Queens FC for their success at the 2024 WAFU-B Zonal Champions League qualifiers in Côte d’Ivoire.
He tagged the victory as an anniversary gift to Edo State which was carved out of the former Midwestern/Bendel State on this day, 27 August 1991.
Obaseki also a N100million cash reward for the team. ” You have all done well. For me, this is our season of celebration. Tomorrow, (this Tuesday) Edo will be 33 years old. When I look at the present you have come to give me, I am so glad.
“Before we came into power, there was no respect for Edo women; nobody gave them the chance but thank God all that has changed now.
“Some past governments didn’t understand that sports is a vital aspect of youth development and thank God we recognize that. I am happy that the work and investment we have put in since the past eight years is showing now and we will continue to encourage our youth.
“I congratulate you girls. I encourage you to win the CAF Champions League. I will not tell you what I will do for you yet but for this you have done, you have made us proud and you have made Nigeria proud. So, I give you all one hundred million Naira, ” Governor Obaseki said.
Edo Queens before emerging as the 2024 WAFU-B champions as the second Nigerian team to do so in history, they had previously won the Sheroes Cup, Betsy Obaseki Cup and the NWFL Premiership titles.
The representatives of Edo Queens were outstanding throughout the WAFU B zonal qualifiers, winning all their five matches convincingly. They scored 14 goals and only conceded one goal in the match against Inter D’Abijdan which they won 2-1.
Edo Queens will be at the 4th edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League finals later this year.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman, of Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli and the head coach of the victorious Edo Queens Moses Aduku have heaped praise on the Edo State Governor and the First Lady Dr Betsy Obaseki for their support and investment in women’s football, which has been instrumental in the team’s success. They ascribed the success of the team to Governor Obaseki’s prompt response and release of funds for preparations.
The Edo Sports Commission boss maintained that the commitment of the Edo State Government to developing women’s football and sports in general is what has led to the success of Edo Queens.
“Since I assumed office in Edo, I have been winning. We reigning national champions and now West African champions. We played five games in Cote d’Ivoire, winning all with 14 goals and only conceded one. Our girls have done well.
“We sincerely thank our Governor for the huge support he has given us in everything we have done. I made a huge mistake in applying for funds to take care of the girls’ bonuses but upon realizing my mistake, I wrote to the governor again, drawing his attention, instead of query, the governor gave express approval and immediately we got the money we requested.
“What else can we say than to say thank you to our governor for his understanding and support,” Alli said.
The head Coach of the team Moses Aduku said that the Governor’s interest and prompt release of funds gave him and his team more confidence while going into the West Africa battle.
“I was confident that we were going to achieve good results. I told my inner man that we were capable of winning the zonal ticket even though we were going there for the first time. We were not rated but God saw us through.
“We remain grateful to the governor and I want to start preparation for the Champions League proper as soon as I present this cup because early preparation is key. We want to assure our Governor of bringing another cup home,” Aduku enthused.
Spain thrashed England 4-0 to move a step closer to automatic qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup finals, with Germany booking their spot thanks to a comfortable 2-0 home win over Norway in the penultimate round of European qualifiers on Friday.
With the top teams from each of the four A groups qualifying automatically, Germany’s win gave them an unassailable four-point lead over Norway in Group A4 with one game left, while Spain and England are both locked on 12 points at the top of Group A3.
England’s hopes of securing a spot with a win in Mallorca were quickly snuffed out, with Patri Guijarro giving the Spaniards the lead in the 19th minute and Alexia Putellas making it 2-0 before the break.
There appeared to be nothing England could do to stop the Spanish juggernaut, with Putellas adding a second goal 10 minutes after the break and Claudio Pina putting the icing on the cake with a goal from a superb pass by Aitana Bonmati to make it 4-0.
England retain a chance of qualifying directly, but they will have to get a better result when they host Ukraine next Tuesday than Spain manage in their final fixture away to Iceland.
There was late drama in Group A2 as Ireland’s Amber Barrett netted a 90th-minute goal to snatch a 3-2 home win over the Netherlands to move above the Dutch and into second place in the group, one point behind leaders France, who beat Poland 2-0.
The Irish play France in their final game in Grenoble, with the Dutch taking on Poland at home.
Earlier, Pernille Harder came off the bench and scored the winner for Denmark as they downed neighbours Sweden 2-1 to end the Swedes’ hopes of qualifying directly.
The Danes top Group A1 on 11 points ahead of their final game against bottom side Serbia, while second-placed Italy, who are three points behind the leaders, next host Sweden.
-Reuters
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s Falconets have been handed a challenging but promising draw for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after they were placed in Group F alongside former champions Spain, China PR and debutants New Caledonia.
The draw for the 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup was conducted in Lodz on Thursday, setting the stage for the tournament scheduled to run from 5 to 27 September across four Polish cities.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s most successful teams at the competition, will face a stern opening-round test against European powerhouse Spain, which won the title in Costa Rica in 2022. China PR also brings a considerable pedigree to the group, while New Caledonia will be making their maiden appearance at the global finals.
The Falconets will be hoping to improve on their performance at the last edition and rekindle memories of their best outings, when they reached the final in 2010 and 2014.
Hosts Poland headline Group A alongside Argentina, Benin and Mexico, while defending champions Korea DPR begin their title defence in Group E against Colombia, Costa Rica and Portugal.
Other intriguing group-stage fixtures include Brazil, England, Canada and Tanzania in Group B, while France, Korea Republic, Ghana and Ecuador make up Group C. Group D features former champions Japan and USA alongside New Zealand and Italy.
The full draw is as follows:
- Group A: Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Benin
- Group B: Brazil, England, Canada, Tanzania
- Group C: France, Korea Republic, Ghana, Ecuador
- Group D: Japan, USA, New Zealand, Italy
- Group E: Korea DPR, Colombia, Costa Rica, Portugal
- Group F: Spain, Nigeria, China PR, New Caledonia
The tournament will mark Poland’s first major global women’s football event, with matches to be played in Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Lodz and Sosnowiec.
Six nations — Benin, Ecuador, New Caledonia, Poland, Portugal and Tanzania — will make their debut appearances, while Korea DPR and the USA are both chasing a record fourth title.
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Nigeria’s Falconets will discover their opponents for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when the official draw is conducted in Łódź, Poland, on May 15, as preparations intensify for another campaign on the global stage.
The draw ceremony, confirmed by football’s world governing body, FIFA, will take place in one of the tournament’s host cities and will be broadcast live worldwide on FIFA+, YouTube and TikTok.
Nigeria, one of the most successful nations in the history of the competition, heads into the draw with renewed ambition after securing qualification for the tournament, which will run from September 5 to 27 across the Polish cities of Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Łódź and Sosnowiec.
The Falconets remain one of Africa’s strongest representatives at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, having reached the final twice in the competition’s history. The Nigerian side will now await the outcome of the draw to know their group-stage opponents among the 24 qualified teams expected to battle for the title.
Former Polish international and current women’s national team coach Nina Patalon and French football legend Laura Georges will participate in the ceremony, underscoring the growing profile of women’s football globally.
Speaking ahead of the event, Patalon described the draw as a defining moment for both participating teams and supporters.
“The draw always brings a special sense of excitement, as it is the moment when the competition truly starts to feel real for both the teams and the fans,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of hosting the tournament in Poland, noting that it could inspire more young girls to embrace football and further accelerate the development of the women’s game in the country.
The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is expected to showcase some of the brightest emerging talents in women’s football, with Nigeria’s Falconets aiming to make another strong impression on the world stage
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