By S. Siapha Mulbah
Malian Women League champions, AS Mende, yesterday got a welcoming victory against Determine Girls, the host of the West African Football Union (WAFU), zone ‘A’ at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Champions League Qualifiers.
Determine Girls, as defending champions of WAFU Zone ‘A’, started their title defense with a hard task against the Malian side at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville City, a situation that made their chances of retaining the title much more difficult.
Oumou Kone of the visiting team threatened the backline of the Liberian double champions from the start of the second half. The forward secured a brace in the 60th and 73rd Minutes and collected the woman of the match award.
From recess, whatever hope Determine Girls’ debutant goalkeeper, Anita Davis, had of getting a clean sheet, was dashed when Fatoumata Diarra assisted Maimouna Traore in minute 48 of the match.
The visitors’ first three points were secured after a technical breakdown of Coach Tarpha Manneh’s midfield, due to the poor performance of some key players. Liberia’s representatives will be seeking a win against AS Dakar of Senegal and Mogbewmo Queens of Sierra Leone in their next two matches.
Determine Girls, in the last edition of the same competition, were held to a goalless draw against the Malian female team, who seem to be their biggest rivals to represent the women’s football zone of West Africa.
Liberia Upper Women League champions and Orange Cup holders, Determine Girls thrived under the leadership of former coach, Robert Lartey. Last year, the girls were paired with Union des Spotive Association of Senegal and AS Mende of Mali. The round ribbon tournament saw Liberia’s representative in Morocco as the zone winner, during the continental women’s champions’ league.
In the last match of day one, AS Dakar of Senegal collected a narrow win against Mogbewmo Queens of Sierra Leone, with an 89th minute goal. Both teams had seemed poised to settle for a goalless draw, until the dying minute goal by the Senegalese outfit changed the narrative.
