Rivers Angels head coach Tosan Blackson has refused to throw in the towel despite his side’s fading title hopes at the 2026 Nigeria Women Football League Premiership Super Six in Port Harcourt.
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The hosts suffered a second consecutive defeat on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to Bayelsa Queens in a heated South-South derby after previously losing 1-0 to Abia Angels.
The defeats came after Rivers Angels had opened their campaign with an exciting 3-2 victory over FC Robo Queens.
With just one win from three matches, Rivers Angels now face an uphill task in the race for the Super Six crown, a situation that has sparked criticism from supporters and increased pressure on the technical crew.
Speaking after the loss to Bayelsa Queens, Blackson admitted the result was disappointing but defended his players’ effort and maintained belief that the team could still finish strongly.
“Whether we like it or not, they gave their best today again, but the best wasn’t good enough,” Blackson said during his post-match press conference.
“They lost concentration again. After scoring the goal, instead of concentrating and thinking of how to defend first before attacking, they all moved forward and immediately we conceded.”
Bayelsa Queens had taken the lead in the first half before Rivers Angels restored parity in the 58th minute through Abasiofon Uwah’s penalty.
However, Dorshima Taarnum responded almost immediately for Bayelsa Queens with the winning goal in the 63rd minute, with many analysts criticizing the team for lack of cohesion.
The Rivers Angels boss, however, rejected suggestions that his team lacked cohesion despite acknowledging communication issues within the side.
“If you say we have communication problems, I will agree with you,” he said. “But if you say there was no cohesion, I will not agree. The girls played from defence to midfield to attack. We created chances and lost many chances.”
“Just because we lost does not mean the team did not play well.”
Blackson also pointed to the pressure of hosting the competition in Port Harcourt as a factor affecting his players.
“They are under pressure because they are the hosts. They are playing before their fans, so definitely there is pressure,” he noted.
Despite sitting fifth on the table after three games, the coach insisted Rivers Angels still have a role to play in the title race and will continue fighting until the end.
“You don’t give up. It’s a competition,” he said.
“We have played only three matches and still have two matches left against Edo Queens and Nasarawa Amazons.
“Why should we back out? We cannot back out. Even qualifying for the Super Six is already a credit.”
Blackson concluded with a message of hope to supporters despite the difficult situation.
“As long as there is life, there is hope,” he declared.
Rivers needs more than a miracle to win the title with two matches to go. The Port Harcourt based needs to defeat Nasarawa Amazons and leaders Edo Queens as also hope major favorable results elsewhere before they can win the title.
The winner of the Super Six will be declared the winner of the 2025/2026 NWFL Premiership title and will represent Nigeria at the WAFU B regional CAF Champions League competition which serves as the qualifier for the CAF 2026 Women Champions League.
The WAFU B regional winner will proceed to represent the region in the main competition later in the year.
