Female League Preview: FCT Queens of Abuja

After returning from Denmark where they won the Dana Cup, the Club almost did not make it to the Super Six due to lack of funds.

At the Super Six proper, the club won three of their five games but lost all points in the board room as they were accused of fielding ineligible players- Stella Godwin, Saidat Adegoke and Onye Chibuzor all said to have been cleared by the NFA to play for Danish side OB.

After the Super Six, the club was stranded in Umuahia for another five days as they could not pay their hotel bills, a situation, Team Manager of the Club, Nuhu Goroh blamed on the Manager of the Hotel.

Nuhu told nigeriasports.com that the hotel manager was very insensitive to the plight of the team.

“The hotel man just decided to hold us to ransom. I begged him in the name of God, spending more than ninety minutes on the phone with him, but he rather said he would loan the team fifteen thousand naira, about ($110) to feed the players so they can stay on in the hotel until Monday when I can transfer money from Abuja to Umuahia.”

At the end of last season, the players began to leave in droves seemingly in protest of the poor wage situation in the club.

Defender Kome Williams joined Rivers Angels while Nkechi Agbor, Rosemary Okezie, Funsho Alake and Amarachi Ogbonna left for Bayelsa Queens.

Omon Ighodaro and goalkeeper Uchenna Nwankwo simply stayed home, refusing to sign for the club or any other.

Ndidi KAnu, Stella Godwin and Victoria Ephraim joined OB of Denmark, LAdi Akahan headed for Germany while Kehinde Akintode is presently in England undergoing trials with Charlton Athletic.

However, the club used the National Sports Festival to attract the attention of Cynthia Uwak, Edith Eduviere, Lawrenta Sogoe and Goalkeeper Rachel Ayegba from Inneh Queens of Benin while Oluchi Ezeji and Anthonia Ikeke from Rivers Angels are now in Abuja.

Mary Nwanonyiri, Kenny Nwajobi, Chinyere Okafor and Tina Oge jumped ship from Capital Queens of Oron.

The Club also retained a lot of old hands like Saidat Adegoke, Ishioma Odigili, Christy “Zico” Ishaya, Onye Chibuzor, Hope Orieka, and Nkechi Mbilitam.

Club Team Manager, Nuhu Goroh is optimistic that they have a better team this year than last season.

"We delayed our registration formalities with our new players until after the sports festival so we could see the players we want to get in full match action and I must say the players we want to add to the team are trully the best in the land."

“All I can say is that any club that thinks they will have it easy against us should think again, because I am happy with what I see hear and we are about to make a bold statement on the league.”