Chioma Moses made the difference with a beautiful goal as Edo Queens downed defending champions Delta Queens 1-0 in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership on Wednesday evening in Benin City.
Heading into the encounter tagged Bendel derby at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, both teams looked good to go in getting the maximum points.
The game started brightly for the homers as the Godwin Obaseki ladies came out in full force, throwing everything at their visitors in search of a breakthrough.
A couple of chances fell through for Edo Queens with strikers Glory Osaghe, Chukwuamaka Osigwe, and skipper Suliat Abideen missing on various occasions as they could not make the best of the chances created.
Delta Queens, on the other hand, played defensively as they had a difficult time trying to match the attacking force of their hosts, who came at them as a rush wind.
Despite it all, after a fair share of the two teams showing urgency and tenacity in breaking the deadlock, the opening half produced no goal.
The match restarted in the second period with Edo Queens pressing on for the opening goal as they continued from where they left off at the break.
Then, the moment of joy came in the 60th minute when Moses was linked up with a pass by Kafayat Mafisere before the former launched a stunning shot into the far corner of the net to send her team into wild jubilation.
With the victory, Edo Queens now have 12 points from six matches; having won four and lost two.
Their next league tie is a crucial meeting with Bayelsa Queens of Yenagoa on January 10, 2024, at the Samson Siasia Stadium.
