Uefa women's champions league: Oghiabekhva grabs brace, Sunday flops
The UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying round kicked off on Tuesday, with 40 clubs competing for 12 remaining places in the 32-team knockout phase.
The opening day saw Emuidzhi Oghiabekhva net a brace and a host of Nigerians involved with their clubs.
Oghiabekhva hit the back of the net twice for FC Minsk in a 6-0 home rout of Slovenia club, Olimpija Ljubljana in Group 2.
The 28-year-old former Rossiyanka and Energie Voronezh FC forward has scored 14 goals in 10 Belarus Women Premier League games this season.
In the other group 2 fixture, Nigeria international left-back Ngozi Ebere helped her Cyprus Club, Barcelona FA beat Slovak side, Slovan Bratislava 2-0.
The Super Falcons defender made the starting XI but was replaced by Victoria Zampa in the 81st minute.
Nigeria international Esther Sunday, was on the pitch from start to finish for her Turkish club Atasehir Beleyedispor, who fell 7-2 to rampaging Czech Liga Women side, Slavia Prague in a Group 4 fixture.
In Group 7, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Charity Adule featured for Biik Kazygurt FC, as the Kazakhstan Women Football Championship club came from a goal down to beat visiting Greek club, Elpides Karditsas 2-1.
Ihezuo, 21, was in action from start to finish, while Adule, 24, was substituted two minutes to the end of regulation time.
The ten group winners and the two runners-up with the best record against the sides first and third in their section proceed to the 17 August draw for the round of 32 to join the 20 teams given byes.
The groups
Group 1: Ajax (NED), Thór/KA (ISL), Wexford Youths (IRL), Linfield (NIR, hosts)
Group 2: FC Minsk (BLR), Somatio Barcelona FA (CYP), Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN, hosts), Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Group 3: Glasgow City (SCO, hosts), Górnik Łęczna (POL), Anderlecht (BEL), Martve (GEO)
Group 4: Slavia Praha (CZE), MTK Hungária (HUN, hosts), Ataşehir Belediyespor (TUR), Mitrovica (KOS)
Group 5: ŽFK Spartak (SRB), Basel (SUI), Pandor Qiryat Gat (ISR), Breznica Pljevlja (MNE, hosts)
Group 6: Olimpia Cluj (ROU), WFC Khakhiv (UKR, hosts), Cardiff Met (WAL), Birkirkara (MLT)
Group 7: BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ), Landhaus Austria Wien (AUT), Akadimia Elpides Karditsas (GRE), Rigas Futbola skola (LVA, hosts)
Group 8: SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH, hosts), Pärnu (EST), Vllaznia (ALB), Agarista – SS Anenii Noi (MDA)
Group 9: Gintra Universitetas (LTU, hosts), NSA Sofia (BUL), Honka (FIN), EBS/Skála (FRO)
Group 10: Avaldsnes (NOR), Osijek (CRO, hosts), Sporting CP (POR), ŽFK Dragon 2014 (MKD)
- Former quarter-finalists Glasgow City and Slavia Praha will be seeded in the round of 32 if they get through.
- Basel, Górnik Łęczna, Somatio Barcelona FA, Anderlecht, Akadimia Elpides Karditsas, EBS/Skála, Mitrovica and Agarista – SS Anenii Noi are all making their debuts.
- KÍ Klaksvík, the only club to enter the first 17 seasons of UEFA women’s competition, are absent after losing the 2017 Faroese title to EBS/Skála.
- Tournament calendar
Qualifying round draw: 22 June
Qualifying round: 7–13 August
Round of 32 draw: 17 August
Round of 32: 12/13 & 26/27 September
Round of 16 draw: 1 October
Round of 16: 16/17 October & 31 October/1 November
Quarter-final & semi-final draw: 9 November
Quarter-finals: 20/21 & 27/28 March
Semi-finals: 20/21 & 27/28 April
Final: 18 May 2019, Ferencváros Stadium, Budapest
Bye to round of 32
Lyon (FRA, holders)
Wolfsburg (GER)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Barcelona (ESP)
FC Rosengård (SWE)
Manchester City (ENG)
Bayern München (GER)
Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Chelsea (ENG)
Brøndby (DEN)
FC Zürich (SUI)
Linköping (SWE)
Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
Sparta Praha (CZE)
LSK Kvinner (NOR)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
St. Pölten (AUT)
Fiorentina (ITA)
Ryazan-VDV (RUS)
Juventus (ITA)