Rivers Angels coach Tosan Blankson is indeed a happy man after his ladies wrapped up the first round of their campaign in dominant fashion, thrashing Adamawa Queens 6-0 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Wednesday.

The emphatic win sent a strong message to their rivals as they cruised towards achieving their goal of Super Six qualification.

But despite the dominant display, coach Blankson had an unexpected reaction—insisting that the losing side “tried” for making sure the scoreline didn’t get worse.

Effiong returns, Rivers Angels shine

One of the biggest highlights of the match was the return of Peace Effiong, who made an instant impact after recovering from injury.

The forward marked her comeback with two goals in the 24th and 53rd minutes, showing no signs of rust.

The onslaught began in the 20th minute when Titilayo Aweda opened the scoring.

Effiong’s brace was followed by a Mary Moses masterclass, as she netted a stunning hat trick to complete the rout.

Rivers Angels coach questions goal-scoring perception

Despite his team’s ruthless performance, Rivers Angels head coach Tosan Blankson had a rather blunt take on the result.

“They tried; they did their best not to allow the goals to be more than six. They tried their best,” Blankson remarked, implying that the scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for Adamawa Queens.

When asked whether the six-goal demolition was a statement of dominance or simply about topping the group, Blankson clarified:

“Sometimes, goal scoring is part of the qualities too. People think we are a poor scoring side, but we are not. We always create chances; the issue is converting them. But today, they did well to take some of those chances.”

Adamawa Queens struggle as Rivers Angels march on

Despite their commanding position at the top, Blankson downplayed the importance of finishing first in the group.

“We don’t have anything at stake to be top; it’s Bayelsa United that’s looking for everything to be at the top. Ours is just to qualify for Super Six,” he stated.

Reflecting on his team’s overall performance in the first round, the coach acknowledged areas for improvement.

“They’ve given their best. I know the second stanza will be better. We will work on attack and communication in defence,” Blankson assured.

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Last Updated on February 26, 2025 7:38 pm by footballrover