Delta Queens head coach Stanley Osaze has lamented the 1-1 draw with Nasarawa Amazons in a Matchday 10 encounter at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, admitting that avoidable mistakes from his players cost the team a valuable victory.

He said that his team is a long-term project still undergoing rebuilding, adding, however, that a win over Nasarawa Amazons would have aided their Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL) title ambition.

“As I said when I came to the club, this team is a work in progress. We have a lot of inexperienced players and I believe they can improve, but it will take time,” Osaze said.

The coach acknowledged that his immediate priority is ensuring the team’s survival in the league rather than chasing ambitious targets.

“My primary target is to stay in the league. I believe next season will be better. With the kind of players we have, qualifying for the Super Six is 50–50.

But if the players improve and we get enough points from the remaining eight games, then qualifying for the Super Six can still be achievable,” he added.

On the opposing bench, Nasarawa Amazons head coach Christopher Danjuma praised his players for their resilience and determination to secure a point on the road.

He noted that the team approached the match with a clear objective of maintaining their push for a Super Six qualification.

“Firstly, in this league our target is to qualify for the Super Six. This point is very crucial against a quality opponent,” Danjuma said.

He also acknowledged the improvement shown by Delta Queens since their earlier meeting this season.

“There has been a big improvement in the Delta Queens we beat on the opening day of the season in Lafia. We had to prepare well and thankfully we are going back with a point to prepare for the next game,” he added.

Following the draw, Delta Queens moved up one place to fifth position on goal difference with 12 points from 10 matches, while Nasarawa Amazons climbed to second place with 19 points from 10 games, strengthening their bid for a place in the championship playoffs.

Delta Queens missed the opportunity to narrow the gap on the NWFL top three after the 1–1 draw.

The tightly contested fixture produced moments of quality and costly mistakes from both sides, leaving the hosts to rue defensive lapses that ultimately denied them maximum points at home.

Delta Queens looked poised for victory after seizing the initiative late in the first half. The breakthrough came in the second minute of added time when Anesthesia Terfa capitalised on a mix-up in the Nasarawa Amazons defence to slot home and hand the hosts a crucial lead going into the break.

However, the visitors responded with renewed intensity after the restart.

Nasarawa Amazons pressed aggressively and were rewarded for their persistence when captain Ayowunmi Omosuyi punished a defensive error to score the equaliser in the second half.