MOLATsportgist

Arsenal and Chelsea leading the tittle race on the Women’s Super League table after a Tottenham loss joined a Manchester derby draw in the fifth week of action.

Arsenal has a three-point lead on Chelsea and Spurs as Katie McCabe, Lotte Wubben-Moy, and Frida Maanum scored in a decisive win.

Sandy MacIver had been relatively untroubled in the Everton goal before Katie McCabe’s half-volley stunner looped over her for the opener just after the half-hour, before she was nutmegged by Carlotte Wubben-Moy from a corner (41) as Arsenal built up a comfortable lead before the break.

The hosts looked more dangerous after half-time and had various chances to add to their lead before Frida Maanum powered past MacIver from 20 yards four minutes from time to earn a fifth win from five games, as the Gunners restored their three-point lead at the top of the WSL.

The defending champions only allowed four shots and not a single shot on target but needed 83 minutes to make the breakthrough at the Cherry Red Records Stadium when substitute Harder fired home after a short corner. Kirby wrapped up the win in the 94th minute with her 50th career goal in the FAWSL as Emma Hayes’ side went second in the table on goal difference, while the visitors stay bottom as they still look for their first points of the season.

Arsenal, Everton and the match officials show solidarity with NWSL players by taking a united stand against sexual abuse in the sports.

Several WSL teams circled up and joined arms like their American peers did following allegations of severe misconduct from several authority figures including coaches Paul Riley and Richie Burke as well as resigned commissioner Lisa Baird.

While Chelsea’s squad and coaching team joined arms before kick-off on Sunday, Leicester opted to applaud the gesture.

Players from opposing teams at four other games also joined each other in the centre circle before kick-off.

Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall on NWSL: “It’s instrumental that players feel listened to, so bad things don’t happen. Hopefully that is an eye-opener, not just in the US, but across a lot of different associations & leagues because I would assume that this incident isn’t unique.”

“We know that the FA are planning something on a bigger stage and we just thought it’d be more appropriate to show more solidarity on the biggest stage where it’s more powerful,” said Foxes boss Jonathan Morgan.

Ghana Police Ladies FC goalkeeper, Nana Asantewaa put up a superb performance against Naija Ratels FC to earn herself the player of the match.

The Ghanaian goalie rescued her side from conceding goals against Naija Ratels FC in the opening game of the 2021 Flying Officers Cup.

Asantewaa first showed class when she acrobatically denied Zipere Agama the chance of scoring the first goal in the first ten minutes of play.

In the 40th minute, Nana Asantewaa also made another acrobatic save to deny Oladeji Bunmi, who positioned herself at a very good position to shoot towards goal.

In the second half, Asantewaa continued from where she stopped as she put up another brilliant save in the 67th minute from Adugbe Olamide.

In her reaction, an excited Nana Asantewaa expressed her happiness and promised to do more for her team to go further in the competition.

“I am very excited over this and am glad we could get something out of this game.

“It isn’t just about me, but about the whole team. We have worked so hard and we need to keep working harder and improve as a team here.

“Everybody in the team have been very supportive and that’s the kind of spirit that exist amongst us. We look forward to our next game and hope it’s going to be favourable.” She concluded.

Such a fantastic display from Nana Asantewaa coupled with a solid defense force could go a long way in propelling the Ghanaian side to the summit of the 2021 Flying Officers Cup as they look forward to their next game against Honey Badgers FC on Wednesday, October 13.

Today promises to be an action-packed day at the ongoing Flying Officers Cup 2021, with Bayelsa Queens, FC Robo Queens, Confluence Queens and Honey Badgers all in action.

Royal Queens and Honey Badgers will kick-off matches on monday, while the biggest match of the day would be the match between defending Champions Bayelsa Queens and FC Robo Queens by 10:30am.

Osun Babes FC and Prince Kazeem Eletu Queens will battle themselves at exactly 1pm, while the last game at 3pm would be between SGH Academy and Confluence Queens.

On the opening day, Naija Ratels played a goalless draw against Ghana Police Ladies FC, in a game where a lot of goalscoring chances were lost.

The first match of the 2021 Flying Officers Cup ended in a goalless draw.

Naija Ratels started their 2021 Flying Officers Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Ghana Police Ladies at the Area 10 Sports Complex on Sunday evening.

The opening match of the biggest Women Football Pre-season Championship started in a spectacular form. Naija Ratels started well and created some spectacular scoring chances, but failed to utilized any of it.

Coach Bankole Olowookeere of Naija Ratels FC started the game with Ohia Doris in goal alongside, Oladeji Bunmi, Adesina Itunuoluwa, Oyinlola Olamide, Ali Paulina, Anani Oluwaseun, Emmanuel Blessing, Adugbe Olamide, Zipeere Agama, Boigyande Loveth, and Folorunsho Aminat.

Coach Frank Oswald gave starting shirts to Nana Asantewaa, Susana Faakyewaa, Ivy Kolli, Vida Opoku, Cynthia Adjei, Vinoria Kuzagbe, Victoria Teye Williams, Mary Berko, Jane Ayieyam, Deborah Afriyie, and Juanita Aguadze.

In the first ten minutes of the game, Nana Ama Asantewaa made an acrobatic save to denied Agama Zipeere from scoring the opener.

Olamide Adugbe superbly worked the ball down the right, going past Jane Ayieyam, but her shot was too weak for Nana Ama Asantewaa, fourteen minutes later

Five minutes from half time, Nana Ama Asantewaa made another good save from Oladeji Bunmi’s effort to ensure her side’s stayed in the game fully motivated.

Juanita Aguadze in the 44th minute thought she had beaten Ohia Doris to give Police Ladies the lead but the goalkeeper did well to block her effort.

The second half got underway with Zipeere Agama as she ballooned the ball from a very tight angle in the 49th minute before being replaced by Aminat Bello four minutes later.

Ghana Police Ladies FC came out in the second half to upset the host but Doris Ohia briliantly saved Naija Ratels from conceding.

There was a scary moment for the hosts in the 69th minute as the Police threat hit the cross bar.

Juanita Aguadze in the 73rd minute tried to score for the Ghanaian but her effort could not find the back of the net.

Ghana Police Ladies goalkeeper, Nana Asantewaa had a brilliant game and was voted the woman of the match.

Naija Ratels FC will face Royal Queens FC of Warri in their next game on tuesday while Ghana Police Ladies FC square up with Honey Badgers FC on October 13.

Games will continue on monday, with Royal Queens battling Honey Badgers in the first match of the day by 8:am, Bayelsa Queens and FC Robo will play by 10:30am, Osun Babes and Prince Kazeem Eletu Queens will come up against each other by 1pm and finally SGH Academy FC and Confluence Queens will play the last game of the day by 3pm.

Following the withdrawal of NWFL Premiership Champions, Rivers Angels from participating at the 2021 edition of the Flying Officers Cup, Lagos Based side SGH Academy, who were on standby for the tournament have been asked by the Organisers to replace them.

The CAF Women Champions League WAFU B’ finalist officially pulled out of the Pre-season tournament on Friday evening, citing doubt in players level of fitness.

Also, another stand-by team, Kaduna Queens will now get the opportunity to compete at the third edition of the tournament after they replaced Oasis Ladies, who failed to meet up due to logistic reasons.

The ‘Jewels Of Rivers’ finished as runners-up at the just concluded Betsy Obaseki Cup in Benin, where they lost to eventual winners Bayelsa Queens in the finals, while Kaduna Queens lost all their matches at the tournament.

SGH Sports Academy and Kaduna Queens will now play in Group B alongside Confluence Queens and Sunshine Queens.

The third edition of the Flying Officers Cup will Kick-Off from the 10th to the 24th of October at the Area 10 Sports Complex, Abuja.

East Africa guest, the Twiga Stars of Tanzania, have been crowned the COSAFA 2021 Championships winners after a 1-0 victory over Malawi in the final at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

This comes months after the country’s first female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan had made a derogatory comment on the female athletes in an interview with BBC.

Read more here: https://molatsportgist.sport.blog/2021/09/04/tanzania-president-samia-suluhu-hassan-to-sponsor-womens-cup-days-after-calling-women-athletes-flat-chested-and-unattractive/

The Scorchers keeper blocked Fatuma Suleimani’s long-range strike but it landed right on 19-year-old Enekia Kasonga Lunyamila who buried the rebound home and handed Tanzania the win in the 64th minute. The 19-year-old led Tanzania to the COSAFA U20 Women’s Championship, winning the golden boot while at it.

Ealier Fazila Chembekezo and Ireen Khumalo also had missed chances for Malawi. It was all celebrations for the Tanzanian side that had never got to the final of this tournament since 2019.

Tanzania finished as the only unbeaten team at this year’s Championship and now hold titles in all the women’s categories in COSAFA, Under-17, Under-20 and senior football.

Twiga Stars captain who was also MVP for the final was voted Player of the Tournament. South Africa’s Sibulele Holweni scooped the top scorer’s Award with 5 goals, and Zambia’s Petronela Musole was voted Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Zambia picking up the Fair Play award.

Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan were the three guest sides that featured in the 12-team tournament which kicked off on September 28.