IT WILL BE TOUGH BUT WE SHALL SCALE THROUGH –UGWU
Head coach of Total/CAF Confederation cup 2019/2020 hopefuls, RangersInternational F.C, Benedict Ugwu has assured the teeming fans of the club that he and his wards have all the motivation and hunger to scale through to the group stage of the competition ahead of their Togolese opponents, A.S.C Kara in the two-legged playoff round.
Surugede, as the coach was fondly called in his active playing days for club and country, told StarSports exclusively that with the draws made midweek in Cairo that pitched the ‘Flying Antelopes’ against reigning Togolese league champions, Association Sportive Des Conducteurs De Kara (A.S.C.K), he strongly believe that his team can make the group stage even when he agrees that it would be tough.
“I agree perfectly that there is no small team any longer in African football hence, we respect our opponent as champions of Togo league but we have what it takes to overcome them and cruise into the group stage of the competition. Surely, it would be a tough encounter but we shall be in the group stage by God’ grace,” stated the one time third best African footballer.
Ugwu, who agreed that the none start of the NPFL to a large extent, contributed to the ouster of two of the country’ representatives on the continent, further said, “Yes, I believe that the delay in the start of our league contributed to the elimination of some of our teams from the continent but our management foresaw this situation and moved towards overcoming it with series of friendly matches that has helped us a lot in understanding while playing. There is nothing like underrating our opponent. They earned their place to contest in this round and we shall approach both legs with all the attention it deserves.”
Recall that the seven-time Nigeria league champions earned a place in this round of the competition after a 4-3 aggregate win over Gabonese side, A.S Pelican while the Togolese league champions, dropped down to the second tier of the continental competition after failing to make the CAF Champions League group stage after a 1-0 aggregate loss to D.R Congo side, A.S Vita in the second qualifying round.
Read Also: Rangers FC seal multi-million kits deal with Italian firm
Rangers will be flying into Lome to trade tackles with the Togolese side at Stade de Kegue, Lome on October 27, 2019, with the return leg scheduled for ‘The Cathedral’, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu a week later, November 3, 2019.