Enugu – The Technical Adviser of reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Rangers International F.C and Super Eagles of Nigeria’ assistant coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has sounded it clear that his team would end the season on a positive note despite his team’s 1-2 loss to visiting Niger Tornadoes F.C in a match day 20, NPFL 2024/2025 fixture on Saturday, January 25, 2025 in Enugu.

In his post-match chat, coach Ilechukwu described the loss as unexpected and disappointing to him and the club’s numerous fans but expressed optimistism that the team will be celebrated at the end of the season.

“I told my players before the start of the game that it was going to be a very difficult game which it turned out to be. We created a lot of chances but could not utilize them but one, while our opponent got two chances and made use of them. Despite this loss, I call upon our supporters to stand beside this team that is the best team in the league as I assure all that at the end of the season, we shall be congratulated.”

Coach Ilechukwu had a full complement of his team with the return of the trio of Effimi Nsi, Isaac Saviour and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi from the Super Eagles B squad for the start of the second stanza of the league and the match day squad led in attack by the duo of Godwin Obaje and Frank Uwumiro showed enough dominance in the early stages of the match but missed a lot of goal scoring opportunities before falling behind to an Ismail Sarki’s 17th minute goal against the run of play.

To their credit, the home side were level on 19 minutes when Ifeanyi Onyebuchi nodded home an Isaac Saviour’s fiercely struck shot after a quick corner-kick was taken with Evans Ogbonda involved.

It was a catalogue of misses for the home side before the end of the first half as all that were thrown at the backline of the ‘Ikon Allah’ boys were contained just as Joshua Enaholo showed brilliance between the sticks.

When both teams returned for the second stanza, the tide was still in favor of the ‘Flying Antelopes’ but putting the ball in the back of the net was an issue on the day with Frank Uwumiro missing a sitter on 47 minutes while substitute, Kingsley Maduforo blazed his effort wide with only the goalkeeper at his mercy at the hour mark just as Isaac Saviour’ goal-bound stinging shot was pushed out by Enaholo on 62 minutes and on 65 minutes, Rangers’ defence was breached a second time as Ifeanyi Okechukwu let fly a shot from the edge of the box that goalkeeper, Kingdom Osayi had no answer.

With few minutes to the end of the encounter, Effimi Nsi was tripped inside the box as he was through on goal and the referee wasted no time in making the call but substitute, Okorie Chiedozie failed to score from the spot as his kick greased the cross bar and went out of target as the league defending champions, surrendered all three points at stake on home soil for the third time in the ongoing season.

Rangers will next travel to Maiduguri, Borno state to trade tackles with El-Kanemi Warriors in a match day 21 fixture on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

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Reigning NPFL champions, Rangers International F.C, under the tutelage of coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, is fully set to kickoff it’s title defense as the 2024/2025 NPFL season rolls off with the visit of President Federation Cup champions, El-Kanemi Warriors F.C of Maiduguri who recently crashed out of the second tie, TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025.

The opening day fixture which will happen inside ‘The Cathedral’, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, takes place on Saturday, August 31, 2024, will be a replica of the title winning match for the Enugu side in the 2015/2016 season where the ‘Antelopes’ flew over the ‘Warriors’ by four un-replied goals in a packed stadium on October 2, 2016.

Having secured the services of some quality legs and hands to take the places of those that departed from the trophy-winning squad, coach Ilechukwu and his trusted lieutenants will be looking to ensure that the new season starts on a flying note even when a stiff resistance is expected from the Maiduguri side that recently gained promotion from the NNL and won the oldest club competition to pick a ticket to represent the country on the continent.

The arrival of such players as, Tekena Garando, Ekeson Okorie, Evans Ogbonda, Hillary Ekawu, Ernest Governor, Okafor Onyekachi, Bashir Usman, Lucky Abdullahi, Chikeluba Ofoedu, Effimi Nsi, Igwilo Chimobi, Williams Wonah, Oforkansi Michael, Ogbonna Anayor, Daniel Onyia, and a host of others to join forces with the reliable, Opubo Japhet, Ugwueze Chinemerem, Opara Austin, Onyebuchi Ifeanyi, Isaac Saviour, Ugochukwu Ejike, Agu Kenechukwu, Kenneth Igboke, Kazeem Ogunleye, Chiedozie Okorie, Stephen Ikenna, Odoh Joel, and many more, fans of Rangers are assured of a quality display when the encounter happens on Saturday.

Captain of the Coal City side, Ugwueze Chinemerem, in a chat, said that the team was prepared to kick start the new season on a high with the visit of their opponent from Maiduguri, stressing, “I expect a very tough customer in the form of El-Kanemi but with what we have been doing since our qualification for the second preliminary round of CAF Champions League, I see determination, passion and motivation to get a good result and set us on the right track for a successful title defense. We won the title with a young team and this season; we are campaigning with a much younger team that is highly motivated to repeat the feat of last season. Like I said earlier, it would be a tough encounter due largely to the fact that our opponent was recently eliminated from the continent and would come out to ruffle us but we are prepared for them and by God’s grace we shall celebrate at the end of the encounter.”

Shot-stopper and one of the deputy-captains of the squad, Opubo Japhet, who had two assists and twelve clean sheets last season, is optimistic of starting their title defense on a bright note against the ‘Invading Warriors’ from Maiduguri, stressing, “I will say a big thanks to God for the success of last season and for the start of the new season against El-Kanemi Warriors, I am very optimistic going into the match with the caliber of players in our squad. Surely, there are no more underdogs in the game of football hence we expect an open game but we are going for the maximum points at stake.”

The visitors under coach Aliu Zubairu are already in the Coal City as they arrived on Thursday and will have a feel of the playing turf of the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium on Friday for the only match day 1 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League 2024/2025 with the others taking place between 6-7, September, 2024.

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