BOWFT: Six Teams Crash out of Tournament, Get Consolation Prizes

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Six teams that failed to qualify for the Quarter-finals of the 4th edition of the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament (BOWFT) have received consolation prizes for participating in the tournament.

The Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli made the presentation on behalf of the visioner and Edo State First Lady, Betsy Obaseki, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, yesterday.

Seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N750,000) each was presented as consolation prizes to Naija Ratels FC of Minna; FC Robo of Lagos, Delta Babes FC and Braveheart FC of their failure to qualify for the next stage of the tournament.

Addressing journalists after the presentation, Alli described the first stage of the tournament as keenly contested, noting that the tournament is getting better with each edition as he is optimistic that a European Club will feature in the next edition of the pre-season female football tournament in 2025.

“Our plans for this tournament is to test the new girls we have as the major thing is the continental games we are chasing. We are also not losing our guard as we are playing to win. Our focus is on the continental but we try to rest some of our girls because of injuries. We want to do better. The event is not bad but will get better next year.

“The event will get better and next year we will have a team from Europe as we have two clubs from Benin Republic in this edition. When we said we would have teams from outside Nigeria, people laughed at us thinking we were joking. Today, we have teams from the Benin Republic competing for honours. We are doing everything to make the event bigger and better.”

According to Alli, “We want to grow the tournament more and ensure that it is added in the FIFA calendar to enable people to labour to get here.        

The Coach of FC Robo, Osahon Orobosa, said his team exited early in the tournament because he came with new and young girls, adding “We were in charge in our games but lost concentration. We will win the next edition because by then these girls would have metamorphosed into greater players.”

Coach of Braveheart FC, Joel Uwaifo, commended the organizers for hosting the tournament that has exposed the girls to a new experience, adding, “It was time for the girls to prove themselves despite playing against professionals. We will do better in the next edition.

The Captain of Braveheart FC, Greatness Osayomore, said they came and played their best which is not good enough but promise to do better in the next edition, adding, “We played against professional clubs, but we were not intimidated but did our best as our opponents were tough.”

For the quarter-final of the tournament, Edo Queens will battle against Abia Angels; while Heartland Queens will confront Benin Republic’s Espoir FC.

Bayelsa Queens will play against Fortress Ladies while Nasarawa Amazons will play against Remo Stars Ladies.