WINNIPEG, MB - JUNE 12: Edwin Okon #hc of Nigeria against Australia during the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 match between Australia and Nigeria at Winnipeg Stadium on June 12, 2015 in Winnipeg, Canada. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Rivers Angels head coach, Edwin Okon has explained that his side paid dearly the price of complacency in the NWFL draw against bottom-placed side, Dreamstar Ladies.
The Jewel of Rivers were held to a 1-1 draw by the Pride of Lagos in Thursday’s Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) matchday 9 clash at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.
Attacking midfielder, Favour Kalu shocked the multiple champions with her stunner in the 21st minute while Deborah Abiodun even scores for the Port Harcourt side in the dying minutes of the hotly contested clash.
Okon said he warned his wards against underrating any team in the Premiership but regretted that they did not heed his timely warning.
“It’s a bad match, a bad day for me though I picked a point, I was actually going for the three points at stake.
“Yes, complacency summed up our performance, I warned them before now not to underrate the opponents but the warning went unheeded.
“They won the match right from the first half as we were missing chances and at the end of the day we paid dearly for it. I thank God for the one point.
“The key players’ poorly performed and that was the area I hinted that they underrated the opponents if not this is not their game at all.
“I did not expect them at this level to draw with Dreamstar Ladies but that’s football we just have to take it that way,” said the former Super Falcons manager.
Okon said his side have learnt their lesson the hard way as they continue to push to the top spot.
“I will go back to the drawing board and they all have learnt their lessons. As we are going back we just have to think of the next match and whenever that comes we surely know what to do.
“No problem at that level (summit) there are so many matches ahead of us in the league. For now nobody knows who is the champions, that is it at the moment,” said Okon.
The score draw leaves the Garden City side at the second spot on the 14-team top-flight log on 21 points one behind league leaders, Bayelsa Queens.
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