The leaders of the Ardova Premier Handball League, Safety Babes, defeated Rivers Queens 36-27 on Wednesday, the opening day of the second phase of the 2024 season.
The Safety Babes were the better team in the encounter but the Angels from Port Harcourt also had their moments in the games, giving the champions a run for their money.
For Safety Babes, it was about consolidating their dominance with the win as they eye another title at the end of the season.
In another game, the De Defenders Babes lost to Rima Queens 36-34 in a keenly contested game. There was little to separate the two teams as they battled all through the close game which Rima Queens won by two goals difference.
Also, in the game of sisters, Delta Queens beat Bendel Dynamos 34 -18. The Queens’ class showed in a game in which Dynamos were not close to their best. The Queens took advantage of the Benin team’s porous defence and uncoordinated play to record the win.
In the men’s category, defending champions, Sunshine Kings lost 22-34 to Niger United. The champions finished third after the first phase in Benin, Edo State. However, they were at their fluid best against the Kings from Akure.
Kano Pillars woe continued as the former champions lost to Lagos Seasiders 19-17.
Pillars’ coach, Solomon Yola, attributed the loss to fatigue and stated that they could have still won the game if his players had taken the several scoring chances that came their way.
He said, “I can’t blame the players for the defeat. We are fatigued. We came at 8 pm on Tuesday from Kano by road and we did not get enough rest before our 8 am game on Wednesday.
“We had our chances in the games which we missed but it all went down to fatigue. Hopefully, we can get enough rest before our next games,” the coach added.
