A former Rangers International FC of Enugu and Green Eagles winger, Emeka Akabueze, says the current players’ not being as committed as the older generations was responsible for the club’s dwindling fortunes.
Akabueze, told  newsmen  in Lagos that the players of old were always playing for the fans and not for money.
Tidesports source gathered that, Rangers was founded in 1970 but has never been relegated from the Nigeria Premier League. It has won several honours and last year, won the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
It has won in total the Nigeria Premier League seven times in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 2016 and Nigeria FA Cup five times in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1983.
The club was also finalists seven times in the competitions in 1971, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2000, 2004 and 2007; won the Nigerian Super Cup in 2004, Africa Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977 and was finalist in the African Cup of Champions in 1975.
However, it started the 2016/2017 NPFL on a low note, threatened by relegation. It has overcome the threat and has since the second stanza of the league struggled to do well.
Rangers are currently 13th on the NPFL log with 32 points after 25 games.
“During our own time, we always have the interest of the fans at heart. We always consider the market men who had to leave their stalls to watch us.
“We were always conscious of the fact that, if we lose a game what will be their reaction. They left their businesses to support us.
“Whenever we lose a match, we dare not exchange pleasantries because everybody will be sad and that was the spirit then, we are concerned.
“We think much about our fans because we don’t want to lose them as well, we want to always increase our fan base, unlike now when money has taken over,’’ he said.
Akabueze, a die-hard fan of Rangers, said that monetisation had rubbished the flavour often enjoyed in football, adding that, passion was no more the driving force of many footballers.
“The issue of money has really damaged the entire system. Players no longer play for their passion for the game but what will be paid to them at the end of the match.
“A player will not follow you to a club for the purpose of playing with passion, it is about how much he will receive at the end of the game.
“Football is more than the money in it but the presence of money has rubbished the entire system. I think the system needs an overhauling.
“We need to change our mentality from monetary gain to passion for the game that is the only option to move the game forward,’’ he said.
Akabueze alleged that the present crop of players also lacked respect for each other, adding that, there was a hierarchical order in the team which all must abide with.
“Players don’t respect themselves anymore and that is a problem. During our own time, we recognise our seniors and we accorded them due respect, we were not rude.
“If we were rude, we might get a dirty slap. Some of our seniors like Stephen Keshi were in the team with us and we were not rude to them. All these are missing now.
“Can you imagine a team will play a home game and lose, then the next thing you see them talking and discussing happily? You can’t try that during our time.
“Also, an amateur player without a club will be heard saying that he has a manager somewhere. How can players without clubs already have managers and that is what has been,’’ he said.
Akabueze added that Nigeria football could be at par with other football countries in the world if the system was change to reflect standards.
“If we want to have standard like other advance countries, why not? But we need to do the needful. The system must conform to the standards.