Full minutes for Esse Akida in UEFA Women's Champions League qualifiers
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 19.08.22. | 11:34
PAOK play Rangers in the final of Round 1 on Sunday
Harambee Starlets forward Esse Akida featured full minutes as her side PAOK Thessaloniki Women saw off Swansea 2-0 as they opened their UEFA Women's Champions League at the Katerini Municipal Stadium on Thursday in Round 1.
USA's Eva Vasiliki Vlassopoulos opened the scoring for PAOK after just 16 minutes as they went on to win in the first half.
First 90 minutes in the tank. A win and progression to the final round qualifying round of the #UWCL.
— Esse Akida (@akida_14) August 18, 2022
Couldn't be more thankful. #Akida_14#Womenfootball#ACPAOK pic.twitter.com/HfCBuXW8e2
The forward struck again with 20 minutes to play, scoring from a corner to double the lead for PAOK and complete her brace, sending her side to the final of first round.
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The Kenyan international was handed a one year contract extension deal by the Greek champions in July following an impressive debut campaign that saw her net 18 goals in the top flight Greek league, helping her side to successfully defend their league title as they went through the whole season unbeaten.
PAOK will now take on Scotland's Rangers who saw off Ferencvárosi TC 3-1, on Sunday.
Since my arrival in Greece, I have fallen in love with the people of Thessaloniki. The fans, the management, and the team have made the country my second home,
— Esse Akida (@akida_14) July 9, 2022
Inking a new deal with PAOK was all I wanted and I cant wait to see what the future holds.#Akida_14#Womenfootball pic.twitter.com/T2tYfq1VKx
Round 1 is one of two qualifying rounds before the 16-team group stage, which begins in October. Qualifying is split into two sections: the champions path and the league path. In both paths, round 1 consists of two stages, each of one-off knockout matches played in single-venue mini-tournaments, mostly involving four teams but in two cases three, with the top seeds in those three-team mini-tournaments given byes to the final.
The winners of each final (11 in the champions path, four in the league path) will progress to join the teams entering in round 2 (drawn on 1 September and played over two legs later that month). In round 2, 24 teams will compete for the last 12 slots in the group stage alongside holders Lyon and fellow direct entrants Barcelona, Chelsea and Wolfsburg.
