Founded by former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in 2000, Bayelsa Queens had won the title in 2004, 2006 and 2007. But for 11 years they failed to reach that mark. They got the Super Four in 2017 but lost out to eventual champions Nasarawa Amazons and was struggling again in 2018 before the arrival of a new coach that changed the course of their season. 

On Sunday, January 27, confetti were showered on them at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos after coming out tops of an exciting Super Four tournament to the 2018 NWPL title. 

Moses Aduku was an elated figure. 

Appointed midseason, it was Aduke who led the Restoration Girls to break their 11-year jinx.

“I told them they know where we are coming from, drought for 11 years, no cup and I told them they are not here to joke and that is why we came here since on Monday,” Aduke told Pulse Sports after their Super Four win.  

“We resumed training on 27th of December, while others were celebrating New Years at their houses, we were working hard. 

“And it’s not easy when you work hard and come here to lose, so I told them ‘you must go all out’. 

It wasn't easy. They had to first battle to a 1-0 win over newcomers Sunshine Queens two days earlier before they beat Nasarawa Amazons 2-0.  

“On Friday, while my girls were playing I saw that the weather was affecting them and then the league had been off for a while and that affected them,” Aduku said of that win over Sunshine Queens. 

“But for today, I told them that everybody from the women’s football in Nigeria will be here, so prove that you can play for the National team.”

It wasn’t just the players that were auditioning for the national teams, Aduku too was. And after getting the biggest title of women’s football in Nigeria, he believes he deserves a national team job.

“It will not be a bad thing to make myself available for the national teams also because we have a lot to give out to the national teams. You can’t beat experience, you can only tap from experience,” he told Pulse Sports.  

“I don’t want to lobby but I know my work will speak for me,” he added. 

It was for the sake of this title that he took the job when he was called midseason to take over the club. 

“I feel great to lead this team to win after 12 years. I came in the name of the lord during the midseason and I told God if it’s you that is directing me to this thing. I need the trophy and God has given me the trophy,” he said. 

“It was divine direction,” he also said of his appointment as coach of Bayelsa Queens. 

“I had problems with the team so I was not even expecting them to give me the job but when the TA that started with the season was not doing well, they called for me and I said this is a state assignment and I have to adhere to it.”

Bayelsa Queens headed to the Super Four with the uphill task of displacing defending champions Nasarawa Amazons and did just that with a 2-0 win in the final. They had earlier in the season beaten the Nasarawa Amazons 2-1 in the Federation Cup and it was that victory that Aduku’s girls drew inspiration from. 

“One thing that got good for us during the Aiteo Cup (Federation Cup), we played them at Ijebu Ode and we beat them 2-1. But it was a tight game and a very strong game,” Aduku said.  

“So with that, I told my girls, ‘we have defeated them before’. ‘They are the people we are meeting again, go out there, do the things I have told you to do, technically, tactically you will get it right’.”

Now they are champions and Aduku knows that it’s even a harder task to remain on that level. 

“To get to that height is a little bit easy but to sustain it is the most difficult thing,” he said. 

“So it will not get into our heads. I have been in the game for over the year, I played football for over 25, 30 years and I am now a coach and I know that it takes when you are succeeding, you need to keep your head low and you need to be humble and need to work extra hard. 

“Because every team that wants to play us now know they are playing the champions so they would want to come all out.” 

While he is pleased with the quality of his team that got them the title, Aduku was also complimentary of their rivals. 

“One of the things that give me joy is seeing women play football, I admire them,” he said. 

“These girls are fantastic players, all of them, all of them were good enough to win the league. 

“Every of the team here is good. Amazon that were defeated were good, they are one of the best sides in the female league and if you watched their game against Rivers, they played quality football.”