Under pressure Heartland Queens will throw in everything in her for the much sought after three points against nextdoor neighbours, Abia Angels in the oriental derby slated for the hallowed chamber of the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. The derby is the 2024/2025 NWFL Premiership matchday 3 game.
Prior to Wednesday’s dugout, the premier leaguers experienced mixed fortunes in matchday 2 games. While the Owerri landladies succumbed 1-2 to the superior fire power of the reigning champions, Edo Queens in Owerri, the Angels from Umuahia, the quiet capital city of Abia state, were imperial in their three unanswered goals thrashing of former champions, Nasarawa Amazons right there at their backyard in Umuahia.
In the immediate past season both neighbours campaigned in the same eight-team Group A, while the Owerri mainstreams thrashed her oriental sisters home and away and went ahead to play in her maiden premium Super Six playoffs in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, the Umuahia side, nay Aba side then, practically sweated in her panties to avoid the drop on the last day match of the season.
In the buildups for the ongoing season, both topflights participated in the topmost preseasons, Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament (BOWFT) in Benin City and Sheroes Cup in FCT, Abuja but somehow managed to avoid a potential fierce faceoff by some whiskers.
However, things look prettier for the Angels at the moment than their auspicious hosts, after two rounds of matches in the two-week old topflight, the Owerri side are haplessly without a point in her kitty while the Umuahia side are up high on the ladder with princely three points.
Apart from the mixed experiences and fortunes, there are other factors that will come into play to shape the direction the pendulum will swing on Wednesday. Last season, the helms woman at Abia Angels, Adanna Nwaneri, who is on a second missionary journey right there at the Umuahia Angels, was a deputy to the gaffer at Heartland Queens, Obi Ogbala. In the Umuahia side’s rosters can be found severally capped and dressed Owerri side’s players still frolicking and enjoying the lollypops.
The Owerri side gaffer, Ogbala, not known for too many words, and who plays the heart game with his selection for each match, is surely going to come up with a potent lineup that will give him victory and the very first points of the season. Of late, he has been juggling with the experienced and youthfulness, the experiment is likely to continue but this time around will certainly achieve the desired result.
Victory for the Owerri side against her oriental neighbours, Abia Angels will be a huge boost to her next week long road trip at the 2024 Sheroes Cup winners and two-season campaigners, Remo Stars Ladies in the NWFL Premiership matchday 4 game in Ikenne, Ogun state.
French 
English