CAF Women’s Champions League: Nigeria’s Delta Queens zoom into final in dramatic five-goal thriller

<p>Nigeria’s Delta Queens on Monday defeated Athletico FC of Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire 3-2 to qualify for the final of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers for WAFU B zone.</p>, <p>The CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier was played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.</p>, <p>The two West African clubs sought to grab the single slot to represent the zone in the next stage of the continental competition.</p>, <p>The Delta ladies went behind five minutes into the match when Melissa Behinan scored for the Ivorian women to give them the lead.</p>, <p>All efforts, put up by the Delta Queens, to equalise before the end of first half hit a brick wall.</p>, <p>Their efforts paid off in the second half when substitute Mercy Omokwo scored from a shot in the 62nd minute.</p>, <p>The stalemate forced the match into an extra time, when in the 98th minute, Omokwo scored for Delta Queens after she superbly beat the Athletico’s defence to record another goal.</p>, <p>Delta Queens’ captain, Taiwo Afolabi made it 3-1 for the host in stoppage time of the extra time’s first half to dim the hope of the Ivorians.</p>, <p>Joy Sunday, however, reduced the tally to 3-2 when she pulled back a goal five minutes to the end of the game to console the Abidjan club.</p>, <p>Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu had promised the Delta Queens N1 million for every goal scored in the match.</p>, <p>Shaibu made the pledge shortly before the team filed out for the semifinal encounter to spur the performance of the Nigerian girls.</p>