By Oluwademilade Ogunleye
In a landmark moment for female football at the University of Ibadan, Queen Elizabeth II Hall and Obafemi Awolowo Hall squared off in the first-ever 11-aside inter-hall tournament. The competition, which was hosted by the UI Sport Committee, under the leadership of the Union’s Sport Secretary, Victor Kolawole, in collaboration with Asido Campus Network held on Thursday, 20th November 2025 at the old SUB Pitch. The game, which kicked off at 5:03 PM at the SUB pitch, marked the beginning of a new chapter in UI sports.
Queens stepped onto the pitch in their bold blue-and-black kits, while Awo Hall opted for a light brown top with black shorts. Queens Hall fielded a strong starting lineup with Abigail, Ifeoluwa, Sandra, Precious, Faith, Goodness, Rachael, Naomi, Gift and Blessing all starting the match. On the other side, Awo Hall lined up with Olusegun Favour, captaining the team with Marvellous, Lateefah, Esther, Chiza, Kemi, Bridget, Arinise, Olaniyi Oluwatimide, Lolade and Precious Gift completing the starting 11. The match featured 25-minute halves and opened with Queens Hall taking the first kick.
The match opened with both sides testing the waters, but Queens appeared to settle faster, forcing Awo on the defensive early on. In the 3rd minute, a throw-in for Awo down the right flank was quickly snuffed out by Abigail. In the 5th minute, Queens earned a corner kick, which was well-defended by Awo, who quickly launched a counterattack that fizzled out.
Awo showed flashes of intent in the 6th minute as Favour drove from midfield and attempted a cross, but it went out for a goal kick. Queens continued to press, with Eniola and Abigail keeping the pressure alive. By the 13th minute, Queens looked to be dominating possession. A goal kick from Lolade was headed right back into Awo’s half by a Queens player, putting pressure on Awo’s defence, which managed to keep things calm and tidy at the back.
As the clock ticked down to halftime, Queens began turning the screws, pushing Awo deeper into their half. Despite the increasing threat, the first half ended goalless, with both teams going into the break still in search of a breakthrough. While Queens lacked the final killer instinct in front of goal, Awo had spent the final five minutes fending off pressure and was in search of a more aggressive approach in the second half.
The second half began at exactly 5:28 pm, and this time, it was Awo Hall who kicked off proceedings. With tactical readjustments made and fresh energy on both sides, the next 25 minutes promised to be decisive as both halls hunted for the first goal. As to substitutions, Simi replaced Lolade in goal for Awo.
Queens Hall came out pressing in the opening minutes of the second half, showing clear intent to break the deadlock. They created chances early on, pushing Awo Hall deep into their half. However, substitute goalkeeper Simi quickly justified her introduction, making a crucial save to deny Queens and keep the score level.
Queens Hall continued to pile on the pressure in search of a breakthrough. A throw-in was awarded to them after a promising attacking move was cut short by Awo’s resilient defence. Shortly after, a goal kick for Awo was intercepted by Abigail of Queens, allowing them to regain possession. The sequence ended with another throw-in for Queens as they kept the ball in Awo’s half, pressing for an opening.
In the 9th minute of the second half, a well-coordinated build-up from midfield sparked a rare attacking move for Awo Hall, with Kemi leading the charge. She drove forward confidently, attempting to take on Queens’ two-woman defensive line. However, the Queens defenders held their ground, intercepting just in time. The clearance from the goalkeeper deflected out of play, resulting in a corner kick for Awo.
Two minutes later, Awo were handed a promising opportunity after winning a freekick in a dangerous area just outside the box. Favour stood over the ball and swung in a curling delivery, but Queens’ Eniola made a crucial interception, keeping the game goalless.
The decisive moment came in the 19th minute of the second half. Favour, Awo’s captain, picked up the ball at the edge of the box and let fly with a stunning strike, curling it past Queens’ goalkeeper, who was left rooted to the spot. SUB Pitch erupted as Awo Hall took a 1-0 lead.
Despite Queens’ attempt to fight back, Awo held on to their own to keep their 1-0 lead as the final whistle came to signify the end of the game and a win for the ladies from Obafemi Awolowo Hall.
Speaking after the match, Awo’s captain, who also doubles as the UI female team captain, Favour Olusegun, expressed her delight at the outcome of the game. “I feel very happy, very happy. Aside from the goal, I noticed that I played my best. I played everywhere.” While celebrating the win, she also acknowledged room for improvement. “Despite the win, it was not a 10.10 performance. The midfield was empty at times, and sometimes the right wing. We need to improve on that part.” Looking ahead to the second leg against Queens, Favour expects the team to just do better. “We’d just come back better. The lapses that we had in this match, we’d make sure we do not have them in our next game, so we’d just work on our weaknesses.” Finally, she also thanked the fans of the team for their support and the Sport Committee for putting the 11-aside tournament together. “We gave them our best today, we’d give them our all in the next game.”
On the other end, Esther Ojada, captain of the Queen Elizabeth II Hall team, shared a more subdued reflection on her team’s performance. “I’m not feeling good”, she admitted, “but I’m excited that we have an 11-aside competition.” She noted that while it was a historic step forward, her team struggled both in defence and attack, and lacked fluidity in the final third. Esther pointed out that fatigue set in during the second half, affecting their physicality and emphasised the need for more shots on goal going forward. Looking ahead, she hopes that the team overturns the deficit in the return leg and eventually makes it to the finals.
Queen Idia Hall defeats Alexander Brown Hall in a dominant encounter
Following the intensity of the earlier semifinal, all eyes turned to the second game of the inter-hall competition as Queen Idia Hall faced off against Alexander Brown Hall.
Idia Hall stepped out in their striking yellow kits, while ABH made quite an entrance in a sleek black and green combination, evoking memories of the iconic MBBS team kits. The energy around the pitch was electric as both teams completed their final warmups just before the game.
The opening goal came in the 5th minute of the first half as the ABH defence was caught slacking and the Idia Hall number 6 wasted no time in slotting the ball past the ABH goalkeeper.
Despite the dominant performance, Queen Idia Hall could only manage a one-goal lead as they had their second-half goal cancelled for offside. ABH girls would now look to mount a comeback win in the return leg on Saturday.
