Bayelsa Queens head coach, Ogbonda Whyte, expressed his satisfaction after his team secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Delta Queens in their opening match of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) season.

The game was decided by a last-gasp winner from Sefiat Idris in the 94th minute, but the gaffer acknowledged areas needing improvement despite the result.

A Tough Test to Start the Season

Speaking about the hard-fought victory, Ogbonda highlighted the challenges his team faced but praised their resilience in securing all three points:

“This is the first match of the league for Bayelsa Queens, and by the end of the day we are able to get the three points as they expect.”

“Despite the fact that it was a very hard match for Bayelsa Queens, but at the end of the day we are able to get the three points, and I’m happy.”

 

Room for Improvement in Front of Goal

Despite the win, Ogbonda Whyte admitted that his team needs to be more composed in front of goal.

He emphasized that their inability to convert chances made the match more difficult than it should have been:

“What I felt there that went wrong is their inability to calm down in front of goal or to convert the chances created.

“We created a lot of goal scoring opportunities and chances, but they were unable to utilize it, because all of them were always anxious and eager to score, and they were in a hurry in front of goal.”

Late Drama and the Decisive Goal

Ogbonda acknowledged that the anxious approach in attack delayed the breakthrough until stoppage time:

“So that was why at the end of the day it was quite difficult getting the goals at regulation time before the extra time that we finally got that one goal.”

 

Looking Ahead

While satisfied with the win, Ogbonda Whyte knows his team must improve in converting chances as the season progresses.

The victory sets Bayelsa Queens off to a positive start as they aim for success in the highly competitive NWFL campaign.