Sports
Rangers Target CAF Champions’ League Group Stage
Rangers International FC of Enugu is ready to surpass its previous achievements in the CAF Champions League and has been mandated to reach the group stage, a club official has said.
Rangers’ Media officer, Foster Chime, told newsmen in Lagos that the club was committed to the course of delivering on the mandate.
Tidesports gathered that the Nigerian representative in the CAF Champions League defied all odds against them to pull a surprising 1-1 away draw against Algerian side, JS Saoura in their first match.
The flying Antelopes are arguably one of the most successful clubs in Nigeria having been the champions of the Premier League in Nigeria in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, and were winners of 2015/2016.
The team has a rich history of playing in the CAF Champions League with nine appearances 1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 2006 and 2013.
Rangers were finalist in 1975 edition, losing 1-3 on aggregate to Hafia FC Guinea. The Coal City Boys were also three times semi-finalists 1976, 1978 and 1982.
The club’s last campaign in the CAF Champions League was in 2013 when they were abruptly knocked out in the second round of the competition.
Speaking about the match against the North African opposition, Foster said the team had hectic moments in the far state where his team played the match.
“The venue of the match is like travelling from Nigeria to Italy and it was about four hours drive from Algiers and about 28 hours by road.
“The timing of the match itself was unfavourable as we played by 7 p.m. when the weather was extremely cold amid intimidation and provocation by the home fans.
“We were able to get the result just by the grace of God because the North African opponents in are clubs’ championships are very difficult to manage.
“However, in spite of all the odds against us we had a decent outing,’’ he said.
Foster said that it was not yet time for celebration for the team as the return leg would determine the fate of both clubs.
“Although we got the result through our nose, but the team we are playing is also a good side, so it is not yet over until we play the return leg.
“The club we played against is used to playing in the cold weather so we may have to play them maybe by 2 p.m. when the weather is hot rather than 4 p.m.
“They are a tough side and we must do everything to go past them but it is too early to predict what will happen until we play the match,’’ he said.
Foster said that the club had received enough motivation from the Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, adding that the club was ready to have a decent campaign in the competition.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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