Heartland Queens will be up in arms in a do-or- die battle against two-season campaigners, Dannaz Ladies in Wednesday’s NWFL Premiership matchday 5 game at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Imo state.
On Wednesday, it would be the third time the sides are meeting each other in the topflight, and the outcome in the past two clashes have been one win apiece. Before now, they were in the same trenches in the 2022 NWFL Championship promotion playoffs in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state and the Owerri side smiled home on that occasion and the latest nonleague meeting was the 2024 Sheroes Cup preseason in Abuja which ended one goal apiece.
Available facts showed that almost the same time in the immediate past season, the Owerri mainstreams were second on the eight-team log on eight points, three behind the then leaders, Confluence Queens but the scene is quite different at the moment with the Owerri side barely breathing on the seventh place on the eight-team Group A and without a win after four matches while the side from the ‘Centre of Excellence’ are on an improved sixth spot with four points on the log.
Prior to Wednesday’s showdown, the home side were humbled 1-4 by Remo Stars Ladies in Ikenne, Ogun state while the visitors were too happy to share the spoils one goal apiece with the reigning champions, Edo Queens in Lagos.
The good thing going for the Owerri side is that the sweat merchant in all the matchups remains the same coach Obi Ogbala and is expected he will use his experience to conjure a potent lineup that will see his side overrun the visitors from the nation’s centre of commerce, Lagos.
The Owerri side have been winless in all four matches, coach Ogbala knows that time is ripe to call a time on the poor runs and start on the winning note starting with the game against Dannaz Ladies .
With glaring deficiencies noted in some key players in the game at leaders, Remo Stars Ladies in Ikenne, coach Ogbala is most likely to come up with massive changes that will see new charges being thrown into the fray for the do-or-die clash.
Victory for the Owerri side will serve as a major boost in their season’s campaign as well as the next matchday 6 crunch road trip at former champions, Nasarawa Amazons in Lafia.
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