Bayelsa Queens head coach Hakeem Busari has explained the tactical approach that delivered victory over Police Ladies of Ghana in their opening fixture at the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU B Qualifiers.
Busari revealed that his team specifically targeted the Ghanaian side’s reliance on their centre-backs for build-up play.
By deploying a physical forward to disrupt their rhythm, Bayelsa Queens were able to control the game and limit Police Ladies’ attacking options.
“For coaching ethics, we don’t usually disclose our arsenals, but we had studied Police Ladies and noticed that their play starts from the two centre-backs, with the orientation of play coming deep from them,” Busari said during post-match reactions to the match.
“We needed somebody with physique, height and strength to block that. That was why we kept Janet Akekerowei up front, to ensure their centre-backs couldn’t step into midfield.
Once they couldn’t join in the middle, they didn’t have the numbers in attack. That was the tactic, and it worked for us.”
The coach acknowledged the intensity of the contest, especially given the historical rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana at all levels of football.
“For a game of this magnitude, the first match in a competition is always tough. Looking at Ghana–Nigeria history in every tournament, there’s always strong fighting spirit before, during and after the game. It was a tough encounter, but we knew we had to put in that effort to progress from the group,” Busari noted.
Bayelsa Queens will now look to build on their tactical discipline as they continue their campaign in Yamoussoukro.”