Heartland Queens head coach Obi Ogbala has pointed to a short-lived lapse in focus as the reason his side fell short of lifting the 2026 Women’s President Federation Cup, losing to Nasarawa Amazons in the final last weekend.
How the final swung at Stephen Keshi Stadium
The Owerri-based outfit appeared set for victory after Chizoba Johnson put them ahead shortly after the restart on Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
That promising advantage lasted until Nasarawa Amazons found their way back, with substitute Adaobi Ukah restoring parity in the 65th minute.
With the match level after regular time, the contest was decided on penalties, where Nasarawa Amazons prevailed 6-5 in the shootout.
Ogbala takes responsibility for the defeat
After the final whistle, Ogbala expressed pride in his players’ effort while acknowledging that concentration slipped at a crucial moment.
He said: “My players gave everything on the pitch and they deserved a lot of credit. We were in control of the game, but we lost concentration for a moment and that allowed our opponents to score. It is painful because we were very close to winning the trophy.”
What the coach said about the setback
- He praised Heartland Queens’ spirited performance despite the loss.
- He said the brief drop in focus was costly and directly contributed to the goal that changed the match.
- He described the result as painful because his team were close to securing the trophy.
Missing out on Imo State and planning for next season
Ogbala also voiced disappointment that the title could not be returned to Imo State, while stressing that the squad’s work is far from finished.
“It is unfortunate that we could not achieve our objective of winning the Federation Cup for Imo State, but I am proud of the commitment and determination shown by the players,” he said.
Looking forward, the coach insisted Heartland Queens remain a developing side, adding that lessons from this campaign will be used to push for improvement.
“This team is still developing. We have learned valuable lessons from this season and we will work harder to improve. Our target next season is to perform much better in the league and compete even more strongly for honours,” Ogbala concluded.
