Ibom Angels Beat Fortress Ladies to Reach President Federation Cup Round of 16

Ibom Angels booked their place in the round of 16 of the President Federation Cup after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Fortress Ladies in Enugu on Monday.

The Akwa Ibom side produced a strong performance at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium despite heavy rainfall during the match.

Ibom Angels started brightly and nearly took the lead in the fourth minute when Happiness broke into the box, but her weak effort caused no problem for the Fortress Ladies goalkeeper.

The breakthrough finally came in the ninth minute as Kelechi Chukwunlem finished calmly inside the box to give Ibom Angels a 1-0 lead. The goal was her first of the season.

Fortress Ladies almost responded immediately, but Ibom Angels goalkeeper Godstime made an important save from a well-worked corner-kick move.

A few minutes later, Godstime was again called into action after a short back pass from defender Omolola was intercepted by a Fortress attacker. The goalkeeper reacted quickly to stop the danger.

Ibom Angels doubled their lead in the 42nd minute through Happiness Agboye, who raced clear before finishing neatly past the goalkeeper. It was her fourth goal of the season.

The second half saw Ibom Angels continue to push for more goals. In the 62nd minute, Happiness nearly grabbed her second of the game with a powerful strike from outside the box, but the goalkeeper stretched well to push the ball away for a corner.

The victory sends Ibom Angels into the next round as they continue their push for President Federation Cup success.

Ibom Angels qualified for the national competition after beating Solo Wonders 2-0 in the Akwa Ibom State final, while Fortress Ladies reached the tournament after finishing runners-up to Edo Queens in Edo State.

The Orange Ladies are aiming to go beyond their previous final appearances in 2017 and 2018, as well as last season’s semi-final finish.