I was scared of taking penalty, says Rivers Angels’ Ojinma

The forward recounted the inner battle she fought before taking the decisive kick to hand Edwin Okon’s ladies a second consecutive league cup

Amarachi Ojinma says she had doubt before stepping up to dispatch the winning penalty to hand Rivers Angels the Federation Cup title on Sunday.

Edwin Okon’s charges started the game on the back foot after Rafiat Sule’s 18th minute curtain raiser was met with rapturous cheers from Bayelsa Queens’ fans at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Osinachi Ohale drew them level with a ‘nice’ freekick six minutes later. With the second half being a tight affair, the game headed to penalty shootout. Lilian Cole missed the third kick for Rolandson Odeh’s side with the striker overcoming her nerves to secure the Port Harcourt based side a seventh league cup with the scoreline 5-3.

“We really made up our minds to play. We just made up our minds that Bayelsa will not win,” Ojinma told Goal.

“At the initial stage [of taking the last penalty] I was feeling like ‘God, can I do it?’ I was doubting myself.

“But I had to encourage myself that all hope is not lost and that I can do it because I’ve been doing it before.

“I had to encourage myself that I can do it. I know I can do it.

Asked about Ohale’s superb freekick that drew them level, the Nigerian Women Professional League 2014 highest goalscorer mused: “It was a nice one, she tried. It was a good one.”