Bayelsa Queens Defender Makes Suarez-like Goal-Line Handball Clearance in NWFL Game

• Bayelsa Queen defender Olivia Jennifer was shown a red card for handball goal-line clearance in the NWFL Super Six
• The awarded penalty was converted by Nasarawa Amazons’ Janet Tarnum, ending in a 1-1 draw
• The incident has drawn comparisons to Luis Suarez’s 2010 World Cup handball against Ghana

Bayelsa Queens defender Olivia Jennifer recreated one of football’s most infamous moments during the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) Premiership Super Six, drawing comparisons with Luis Suarez’s controversial handball against Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In a thrilling encounter in Ikenne between Bayelsa Queens and Nasarawa Amazons on Matchday 2 of the Super Six, Jennifer was sent off in the second half for deliberately using her hand to prevent a certain goal, echoing Suarez’s infamous act in South Africa.

The match was finely poised when Nasarawa Amazons launched a threatening attack that had the Bayelsa goalkeeper beaten.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent her side from conceding, the defender stretched out her hand on the goal line to stop the ball from crossing over, according to Football League Reporters.

Just like Suarez’s handball that denied Ghana a last-minute winner in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final, Jennifer’s decision was instinctive, deliberate, and costly.

She was shown a straight red card, the first of the Super Six tournament, and a penalty was awarded.

Unlike Uruguay’s gamble, which paid off, Bayelsa Queens were not so lucky.

Nasarawa Amazons’ Janet Tarnum stepped up confidently and converted the spot-kick to give her side a deserved lead.

Bayelsa hold on with 10 players

Despite going a player down, Bayelsa Queens showed remarkable resilience.

They dug deep, defended with purpose, and were able to hold Nasarawa Amazons to a 1-1 draw until the final whistle.

The effort to salvage a point despite the setback was commendable.

However, Jennifer’s dismissal will undoubtedly be a talking point as the tournament progresses.

Her absence in upcoming matches could be a blow to Bayelsa Queens' title hopes, and the team will need to regroup quickly if they are to stay in contention for the Super Six title.

History repeats in the Women’s league

Jennifer’s handball is already being compared on social media to Luis Suarez’s act of desperation, which denied Ghana a historic place in the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup.

While Suarez celebrated Uruguay’s eventual win in the penalty shootout, Jennifer could only watch from the sidelines as her team scrambled to avoid defeat.

This moment adds spice to an already fiery Super Six competition and raises the stakes for Bayelsa Queens going forward.

NWFL needs more development

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former captain of Nigeria's Super Falcons, Evelyn Nwabuoku, has appealed to the authorities handling women’s football in the country is to focus more on the development of the NWFL.

Nwabuoku also beckoned on sponsors to come on board and partner with the NWFL to ease the burden of the ladies who have chosen to play in the local league in Nigeria.

Source: Legit.ng