The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has commended Rivers Angels Football Club, the state-owned female football team, for defending their President’s Federation Cup Women’s title.
The team secured their record-extending tenth triumph by defeating Nasarawa Amazons 4-2 in a penalty shootout, following a 2-2 draw in the final match held on Saturday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.
Expressing his delight to journalists after the victory, Ibas, whose messages were conveyed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ibibia Worika, lauded the team’s exceptional performance.
“This achievement is absolutely unparalleled; there’s nothing quite like it,” Ibas quoted Ibas as saying.
“As people of Rivers, we are immensely proud that our young women could accomplish such a feat, and as a government, we share in that pride.”
Worika further explained that he was dispatched by the Administrator to offer encouragement to the team ahead of the final.
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He relayed Ibas’s message to the players: “I conveyed His Excellency’s best wishes to the team. I assured them that the Rivers State Government is extremely proud of their presence in the finals and that if they gave their best, they could be entirely confident of government recognition.”
In recognition of the team’s performance, the SSG announced a ₦50 million reward for Rivers Angels.
Worika also took the opportunity to urge athletes from Team Rivers who medaled at the 2024 National Sports Festival to maintain their cohesion, assuring them that the government was actively working towards fulfilling its pledges to them.
However, Rivers Angels Manager, Matilda Otuenne attributed the club’s remarkable success to the players’ unwavering dedication and diligent work.
Rivers Angels have a storied history in the competition, with their previous victories recorded in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024, and now
