NWFL: Heartland Queens, Nasarawa Amazons go for Super Six jugular
Heartland Queens of Owerri will engage regular season group mates and leaders, Nasarawa Amazons in a battle of wits as the 2023/24 NWFL Premiership Super Six playoffs kicks off today, May 18 at the Mainbowl of Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
The battle of familiar foes between the two sides will precede Match Day 1 opener involving Confluence Queens and Edo Queens.
When both sides met during the regular season, the girls from Lafia won with one goal in the first leg while the Owerri side won by the same margin in the return leg.
Today’s game being the third competitive meetings between the sides presents an equal opportunity for the sides to once again settle their scores and sort out decisively the superiority claims.
The Owerri landladies are in the 2024 NWFL Premiership Super Six playoffs as underdogs and first timers compared with their oppowho have won the league crown previously the same as the multiple champions; Rivers Angels and Bayelsa Queens.
While the likes of Confluence Queens and Edo Queens are regulars of the yearly football showpiece, the Lafia landladies are being rated as favourites by bookmakers while the Owerri side are somehow treated as outsiders.
However, this is where the puzzle will start as the playoffs commenced. Heartland Queens, unarguably, were the surprise team as well as the revelation of the regular season and appear resolute to further take more prisoners in the 10-day fiesta.
The dugout man at Heartland Queens, Obi Ogbala understands the opposite terrain very well having led the side to league victory and the Owerri side have in their fold two key former players of the Lafia side in the persons of goalkeeper, Uchenna Chukwu and on-the-field captain, Chimebere Opara to provide the decoy and guile to nail their opponent
. The trio, aside, the Owerri side have in their bank a good number of quality players that will cause the necessary damage.
The game changer for the Owerri side in the Super Six playoffs could be the marching order of the number one citizen and sports loving governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma and the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Obinna Onyeocha to the team to bring home the coveted diadem and get the rare chance for a 100% total turnaround on the careers and fortunes of the entire team’s personnel.
The teams are to observe a day rest after the match openers while match actions resumes on Monday that will see the Owerri side take on another group mates, Confluence Queens.
