Sports
Diverse Views Trail Eagles’ Loss To Argentina
Former Super Eagles Coach, Paul Hamilton, has blamed fatigue for the Super Eagles 1-3 loss to the Albicertes of Argentina in a friendly match on Tuesday in Bangladesh.
Hamilton told newsmen in Lagos after the match that it was not easy for the team to play the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday and travel for the encounter.
“It is not easy to play a match on Sunday in Madagascar, travel for 10 hours only to play a top-grade friendly game on Tuesday.
“The boys must have lost the match to fatigue,’’ Hamilton, also a former Super Falcons coach, said.
He defended Coach Samson Siasia for substituting Obinna Nsofor with striker Ike Uche.
“It was agreed before the match that all the key players available must be fielded and as such Siasia was in order,’’ he said.
Former Super Eagles Assistant Coach, Joe Erico said: “The match was very interesting for me irrespective of the 3-1 scoreline we conceded against the Albicerte of Argentina.
“I enjoyed every minute of the match and the match was a rehearsal of sorts for our crunch match against the Syli Nationale of Guinea.
“The Argentines have finally extracted their pound of flesh from us after we had exacted our revenge on them from all the losses we had suffered at their hands,” Erico said.
In Port Harcourt, former international Adokiye Amiesimaka said that the 3-1 scoreline was a true reflection of the Argentine national team.
“Until we tackle the basic and fundamental problems of Nigerian football, our soccer decline will continue,’’ he said.
From Enugu, Chidi Ofor-Okenwa said: “We have a lot of work to do in the team. I think Mikel Obi should be a man of national team rather than that of Chelsea because he is not an aggressive midfielder.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
