After missing out on the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership promotion ticket last year, Dannaz FC Ladies coach, Bashiru Fatai believes the team can pick the ticket this time around.
The Lagos-based side lost a game against Heartland Queens 2-1 and won its next four games but couldn’t pick the ticket due to the opening game loss to the Owerri-based side.
Following Friday’s NWFL Championship draw in Ikenne, Dannas have been drawn in Group A alongside Pelican Stars, Dreamstar Ladies, Moje Queens, Ekiti Queens and Kwara Ladies.
Ahead of the opening fixture against Kwara Ladies, the manager expressed is confident in his side’s chances of gaining promotion.
“We are preparing very hard. Our ultimate expectation is to promote to the NWFL Premiership,” Bashiru told theNWFL.com.
“We are trying to play with the boys team and with the team in the Championship for friendly games so as to checkmate our players conditions, fitness, and performance.”
The Lagos-based outfit had a suffered a tragedy during their campaign in this year’s Federation Cup following an accident but the gaffer believes the mishap will spur the club to promotion.
“We thank God for life. In everything we just need to thank God for life because as we were coming from the journey, the accident occur, and we had nothing to do than to accept our fate,” he continued.
“Due to the injuries and what really happened to the players, they wouldn’t be in their shape to continue the tournament because they have another game to play two week after the accident which we can’t go with the condition.
“We just had to calm them down and withdrew from the Federation Cup. That doesn’t matter. It’s a game and life. We just thank God for life but that wouldn’t affect us in the NWFL Championship.”
A brace from Lucky Mary was enough to hand Heartland Queens a 2-1 win over Dannaz Ladies last term despite Zainab Raji’s late goal which the coach sees as a wrong outing they wants to make right.
“Last season was a great disappointment for the team because we lost the first game which supposed to give us the edge to promote to the Premiership then but we thank God that we are still alive and can do better this year,” he added.
“The first game that we lost to Heartland Queens denied us the promotion ticket. It’s so annoying and a disappointment to the team as well but we have prepared well to perform better this season.”